Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
150 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Can Applying Balms For Headache Be Cause Of Darkened Forehead Skin?

my forehead skin has darkened substantially only in the last two years so that a visible difference appears if compared to the rest of the face. earlier i used to have regular headaches so I used to apply balms? what can be the cause and how to cure this
posted on Tue, 20 Aug 2013
Twitter Sat, 8 Feb 2014 Answered on
Twitter Sat, 8 Feb 2014 Last reviewed on
Report Abuse
Dermatologist,  's  Response
Hello,
Welcome to healthcare magic.
From your history and description, it seems to me that you have developed post inflammatory hyperpigmentation due to application of pain relief balms.
Pain relief balms are counter irritants which contain menthol, camphor, etc which could irritate the skin and cause pigmentation over the applied area.
In most cases, this type of pigmentation is deep and can be difficult to get rid off completely.
Apply a good , broad spectrum sunscreen every 4 hours.
At bed time, use a lightening cream containing kojic acid, arbutin, liquorice and niacinamide.
You could get glyclolic acid peels done by a dermatologist.
Q- switched Nd-Yag laser may also help in lightening the pigmentation.
Hope this helps you.
Take care.
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Recent questions on Headaches


Loading Online Doctors....
Can Applying Balms For Headache Be Cause Of Darkened Forehead Skin?

Hello, Welcome to healthcare magic. From your history and description, it seems to me that you have developed post inflammatory hyperpigmentation due to application of pain relief balms. Pain relief balms are counter irritants which contain menthol, camphor, etc which could irritate the skin and cause pigmentation over the applied area. In most cases, this type of pigmentation is deep and can be difficult to get rid off completely. Apply a good , broad spectrum sunscreen every 4 hours. At bed time, use a lightening cream containing kojic acid, arbutin, liquorice and niacinamide. You could get glyclolic acid peels done by a dermatologist. Q- switched Nd-Yag laser may also help in lightening the pigmentation. Hope this helps you. Take care.