uneven skintone?

[1478]

im asian with a slight dark skin colour but my whole body has many different shades which takes a great toll on my confidence. However the face, neck and arms are my biggest concern. the area around my mouth and chin is quite dark and can be easily spotted, my cheeks seems to be lighter but with dark spots which im sure is melasma, my eye area is quite dark compared to the rest of my face and my forehead a medium colour. i tend to get spots leaving marks which makes my skin look even more uneven, rough and though my skin may be soft, the appearence doesn't convey that, it always looks like i have spots and marks even when i dont! my neck is evenly toned but below my neck, my skin is quite light so my face, my neck and my chest all have different tones.

i have had this problem for quite a while and i dont have any idea what to do or what caused it! i really want a solution which will help me with this problem since i dread looking at myself every morning in the mirror. i just want an evenly toned skin doesn't make my skin look so rough. i have the same problems with my arms, one part is dark another may be light and then medium. its really fustrating to see this on a daily basis and not be able to do anything about it!

i dont want to use whitening products since most contain hydroquonin which is probably going to be harmful to my skin. PLEASE can someone help me out?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it can be due to hyperpigmentation or melasma. Generally, this type of pigmentation resolves gradually and needs no attention. However, you can use cosmetic preparation that have demelanizing contents or seek a guidance of a dermatologist.

Alternately, you have the option of cosmetic laser therapy to help you look better, though it may be a costlier. Hope this will help you decide. Take care.

[1478]

My finger joints are dark along with my elbows, even my nails are discoloured now, very off whiteish/yellow so I wanted to know if this was anything to do with what you eat!