Repairing sun damaged skin?

What are the best ways to help repair skin that has been sun damaged?

j87x wrote:What are the best ways to help repair skin that has been sun damaged?

Green Tea:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16029678

Cocoa
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/6/1565.short

Ch-stabilized Orthosilicic Acid (Biosil or Jarrowsil)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16205932

Lutein and Zeaxanthin
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17446716

and what's the best (topical/internal) to smooth tiny acne scars/skin imperfections?

FireFist wrote:and what's the best (topical/internal) to smooth tiny acne scars/skin imperfections?

Centrophenoxine internally is my first choice, by a mile. Not only does it remove lipofuscin from the skin, it also removes it from the brain, heart, lungs, and other internal organs. I had a lentigo patch on my leg for about 7 years, and it disappeared after three weeks on Centrophenoxine.

One caution: I would suggest not overusing it or other cholinergics. Too much choline can cause involuntary muscle contractions of weak, little used muscles. That is, too much choline may cause scalp tightening, which can exacerbate hair loss. Use centrophenoxine in moderation!

My second choice is hyaluronic acid (HA), both internally and topically. As both an internal and topical, it brightens and smooths my skin immediately, and noticeable. I especially like the NSI capsules that contain collagen with HA. HA is especially good as a topical for burns, applied immediately after the burn has been cleaned, and applied twice daily until the scar is gone. It cuts the healing time in half in my case.

My third choice is Idebenone internally. In my younger days, I didn't eat well, and formed some keloid scars from surgeries and other injuries. Idebenone has reduced the keloids down to nothing. Idebenone is a superior, synthetic form of CoQ10. CoQ10 has the nasty property of becoming a pro-oxidant in hypoxic conditions (which one might have in case of stress, exercise, or chronically in certain parts of the body), but the idebenone form does not. Idebenone is also a nootropic agent, and is used for Alzheimer's patients in many countries.

Be careful with silicon supplements, such as Biosil. Speaking for myself only, Biosil seems to aggravate my dormant rosacea.

Wow... thanks for such magnificent information oblomov!
What's Centrophenoxine? how many mg's to use?

I currently take biosil, and see no side effects and i think it helps my joints too.
Same for HA, which i started a week ago!

oblomov wrote:

FireFist wrote:and what's the best (topical/internal) to smooth tiny acne scars/skin imperfections?

Centrophenoxine internally is my first choice, by a mile. Not only does it remove lipofuscin from the skin, it also removes it from the brain, heart, lungs, and other internal organs. I had a lentigo patch on my leg for about 7 years, and it disappeared after three weeks on Centrophenoxine.

One caution: I would suggest not overusing it or other cholinergics. Too much choline can cause involuntary muscle contractions of weak, little used muscles. That is, too much choline may cause scalp tightening, which can exacerbate hair loss. Use centrophenoxine in moderation!

My second choice is hyaluronic acid (HA), both internally and topically. As both an internal and topical, it brightens and smooths my skin immediately, and noticeable. I especially like the NSI capsules that contain collagen with HA. HA is especially good as a topical for burns, applied immediately after the burn has been cleaned, and applied twice daily until the scar is gone. It cuts the healing time in half in my case.

My third choice is Idebenone internally. In my younger days, I didn't eat well, and formed some keloid scars from surgeries and other injuries. Idebenone has reduced the keloids down to nothing. Idebenone is a superior, synthetic form of CoQ10. CoQ10 has the nasty property of becoming a pro-oxidant in hypoxic conditions (which one might have in case of stress, exercise, or chronically in certain parts of the body), but the idebenone form does not. Idebenone is also a nootropic agent, and is used for Alzheimer's patients in many countries.

Be careful with silicon supplements, such as Biosil. Speaking for myself only, Biosil seems to aggravate my dormant rosacea.

Very, very interesting info, especially about the Idebenone.

Currently, I take Ubiquinol, but I may try out Idebenone.

FireFist wrote:Wow... thanks for such magnificent information oblomov!
What's Centrophenoxine? how many mg's to use?

I currently take biosil, and see no side effects and i think it helps my joints too.
Same for HA, which i started a week ago!

Centrophenoxine (also known as Meclophenoxate and Lucidril) is a synthetic variant of DMAE (which is used in many skin supplements). It was first developed in the 1960s, and there is a lot of research on it:
http://www.lef.org/prod_hp/abstracts/centrophenoxineabs.html

I would suggest starting out at no more than 250mg a day, and stepping up from there if you tolerate it well.

Here is the brand I use:
http://supplements.relentlessimprovement.com/centrophenoxine-p169.aspx

oblomov wrote:

FireFist wrote:Wow... thanks for such magnificent information oblomov!
What's Centrophenoxine? how many mg's to use?

I currently take biosil, and see no side effects and i think it helps my joints too.
Same for HA, which i started a week ago!

Centrophenoxine (also known as Meclophenoxate and Lucidril) is a synthetic variant of DMAE (which is used in many skin supplements). It was first developed in the 1960s, and there is a lot of research on it:
http://www.lef.org/prod_hp/abstracts/centrophenoxineabs.html

I would suggest starting out at no more than 250mg a day, and stepping up from there if you tolerate it well.

Here is the brand I use:
http://supplements.relentlessimprovement.com/centrophenoxine-p169.aspx

Oblomov- What results in skin did you notice personally other than the hyperpigmentation disappearing? Is it a permanent thing or need to be taken continuously? How about increased collagen? I'm mainly wondering how dramatic a result you have had in the face. I've got a small hyper-pigmented spot from a scrape I had by my eye that I'd like to get rid of, and I'd like to thicken the skin under my eyes because a couple veins are visible now. I'm using vitaminc/HA serum on my face now and copper peptides around my eyes.

Thanks

Oblomov- What results in skin did you notice personally other than the hyperpigmentation disappearing? Is it a permanent thing or need to be taken continuously? How about increased collagen? I'm mainly wondering how dramatic a result you have had in the face. I've got a small hyper-pigmented spot from a scrape I had by my eye that I'd like to get rid of, and I'd like to thicken the skin under my eyes because a couple veins are visible now. I'm using vitaminc/HA serum on my face now and copper peptides around my eyes.

Thanks

The most dramatic effect of centrophenoxine (besides reduction in pigmented spots) is an increase in skin firmness and elasticity, which I would expect to be due to centro increasing collagen formation.

I cycle centro (1 month on, 1 month off). The effect of increasing skin firmness/elasticity seems to fade over time when I'm not taking centro. However, the pigmented spots erased by centro have stayed away for good.

very interesting info .. thanks !

i have some bad acne scars with pigmentation , this might be a good solution

oblomov wrote:

Oblomov- What results in skin did you notice personally other than the hyperpigmentation disappearing? Is it a permanent thing or need to be taken continuously? How about increased collagen? I'm mainly wondering how dramatic a result you have had in the face. I've got a small hyper-pigmented spot from a scrape I had by my eye that I'd like to get rid of, and I'd like to thicken the skin under my eyes because a couple veins are visible now. I'm using vitaminc/HA serum on my face now and copper peptides around my eyes.

Thanks

The most dramatic effect of centrophenoxine (besides reduction in pigmented spots) is an increase in skin firmness and elasticity, which I would expect to be due to centro increasing collagen formation.

I cycle centro (1 month on, 1 month off). The effect of increasing skin firmness/elasticity seems to fade over time when I'm not taking centro. However, the pigmented spots erased by centro have stayed away for good.

Good to know, I'll keep this stuff in mind. Have you experienced any side effects?

Paradox wrote:
Good to know, I'll keep this stuff in mind. Have you experienced any side effects?

Since I first started taking it as a nootropic, the removal of pigmented spots was a (positive) side effect.

Too much centro can make me feel overstimulated and slightly manic - as if I drank too much coffee. I can't handle any more than 250mg per day. At that level, it produces a very focused, productive cognitive state, not unlike modanifil.

Also, I would suggest not taking it along with too many other cholinergic supplements.

oblo, is centro basically "healthy"?
Are you suggesting to take 250mg and take it from there? empty/full stomach?
can it really even out skin imperfections and make pigmentation from the sun go away?

FireFist wrote:oblo, is centro basically "healthy"?
Are you suggesting to take 250mg and take it from there? empty/full stomach?
can it really even out skin imperfections and make pigmentation from the sun go away?

Centrophenoxine is fat soluble, so it is best taken on a full stomach, or with a healthy fat (fish oil, walnut oil, etc).

I'm not a doctor, so this is my view only based on my research and personal experience:

I can't say what dosage is right for you, but I have seen posts on nootropic discussion sites that describe taking 2-4 g of centro a day. I couldn't handle that much. It is cholinergic (causes the liver to secrete choline), which can have a very positive effect on cognition in the short-term. But too much (over 500mg) can make me a bit manic. I have a slight predisposition for depression and ADHD/PI, which I have learned to manage through good diet, exercise, and supplementation. Centrophenoxine is one of my favorite tools in my toolbox. It has a positive, immediate effect on mood,a nd it helps me focus and get things done when I am feeling unmotivated.

That said, I think that it might be inadvisable for someone with a predisposition for mania, psychosis, or delusional thinking to take it. It will elevate mood in such a person as well, perhaps dangerously. You should think about whether you fit within this category, or whether there is a history of these disorders in your family. Centro is a stimulant (though definitely less powerful than amphetamines), and should be treated as a dose-dependent drug rather than a benign supplement. But, I would give this same advice on almost any supplement.

As with any supplement that can have an effect on cognition, you should do careful self-analysis when taking it. There is an indistinct line between the confident assertion, "my ideas are good, and they are worthy of consideration by you (the audience)", and the manic delusion, "my ideas are perfect and irrefutable, and anyone challenging them is a moron." You should monitor your own train of thought, and adjust the dosage appropriately, before bad thoughts translate into bad behavior.

And yes, it definitely increases skin firmness and removes the pigmented spots from skin. But this is a more gradual effect, measured in weeks or months rather than hours or days. There are other supplements that have this effect as well (e.g., ALCAR, which is part of the IH regimen, and racetam drugs like Piracetam, Oxiracetam, etc., which are frequently taken as nootropic agents), but centrophenoxine has the strongest effect in this regard, IMO.

The same substance that forms liver/age spots on skin (lipofuscin), forms similar spots on other tissues, particularly the lungs, heart, and brain. According to the membrane hypothesis of aging, the presence of lipofuscin inhibits the removal of toxins from the body, reducing the body's ability to respond to stress or disease. The removal of lipofuscin from these tissues, particularly the brain, may have the benefit of increased longetivity and protection against neurodegenerative disease.

There is a LOT of research on centrophenoxine:
http://www.lef.org/prod_hp/abstracts/centrophenoxineabs.html