black eye

[smr]

Hello,

I am a 25 year old Caucasian male. When I was 20, I got a black eye from a skiing accident. To my amazement and to the amazement of my peers, It took nearly 2 years before my eye finally got rid of the leftover shadow. Unfortunately, in May of this year I ran into the same problem. This time from a fight that left me with not one, but TWO black eyes! (one more severe than the other). Now, five months later I am left with the same problem. Everyone thinks I look very tired, or on drugs. I take tremendous pride in living a healthy lifestyle but my confidence goes down with each day that passes. And recently, I have been wearing a make-up concealer to hide the dark circles. So now, not only do I feel a loss of confidence, but also a loss of masculinity! I am mostly Italian-American and hereditarily my family has thin skin under their eyes. I would really appreciate any advice you could give me as I want to get back to my old self as soon as possible!

I appreciate your time,

[danya]

This sounds like it may be a combination of 2 factors...
The first is a deposition of the pigment called hemosideron from the iron in blood cells into the skin. Sometimes this can be helped with a cream containing vitamin K, like "Derma-K" which is available without a prescription. You can get it here... http://www.beautysurg.com/shop/skincare_vein.html You can use the cream or the gel, it's up to you. Most men seem to prefer the gel unless you have really dry skin.

The other likely problem is called PIH- post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is a deposit of melanin in the skin that occurs after trauma. There is also a cream containing hydroquinone that can help lighten this. It is available without a prescription in 2% strength in many formulations by many manufactureres, but a prescription strength is probably what you need (4%).

Finally, it is essential to avoid the sun because any UV exposure will cause darkening. Sunblock every day! Your best bet is a prescription cream called "Solaquin Forte". It contains 4% hydroquinone to lighten the skin and sunblock all in one. You'll need to ask your doctor for a prescription...

[smr]

Danya,

Thank you very much for your immediate response. I'll look into getting a prescription for Solaquin Forte ASAP.

Best Wishes