{"id":24449,"date":"2026-08-01T19:12:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=24449"},"modified":"2026-08-01T19:12:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:12:03","slug":"how-to-brighten-skin-on-face-according-to-dermatologists-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=24449","title":{"rendered":"How to Brighten Skin on Face, According to Dermatologists 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>You can also get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/gallery\/best-at-home-microdermabrasion-tools\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">microdermabrasion<\/a> done professionally. It \u201cworks by physically exfoliating the surface layer to improve texture and brightness,\u201d explains Akram.<\/p>\n<p>After your professional treatments, make sure to take a break from those actives like vitamin C and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/gallery\/best-retinol-creams-serums\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">retinol<\/a> in favor of \u201cgentle, hydrating skin care to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/story\/skin-barrier-moisture-repair\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">support the skin barrier<\/a> and maintain results,\u201d Akram advises.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Make time for massages.<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s not all about ingredients and treatments. Insider tip: Taking time to massage the face using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/story\/best-gua-sha\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">gua shas<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/story\/best-face-massagers\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">face rollers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/story\/gua-sha-jade-roller-how-to-use\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">jade rollers<\/a>, or ice rollers will actually promote your glow. \u201cAt-home treatments like gua sha can improve blood flow in the face,\u201d says Wilson.<\/p>\n<p>If you have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/story\/how-to-get-rid-of-acne-fast-11\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">acne flareups<\/a>, this could be extra beneficial for you: \u201cFresh, oxygenated blood can kill the P. acnes bacteria, making way for a healthier glow month after month,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Maintain a healthy lifestyle.<\/h2>\n<p>Sure, \u201cstay healthy\u201d isn\u2019t the most glamorous advice, but it\u2019s a crucial part of brightening your skin. \u201cKeeping a healthy lifestyle is essential,\u201d says Dr. Kim, who recommends routine exercise and keeping a balanced diet.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, the benefits are multifold: \u201cMaintaining a healthy diet and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/story\/stretching-exercises-for-the-whole-body\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">exercise routine<\/a> not only improves luminosity in your skin, but also improves sleep, decreases stress, and promotes overall health and well-being,\u201d says Wilson.<\/p>\n<p>Consider decreasing your alcohol intake, skipping the cigarettes, getting sufficient sleep, and eating a balanced diet with a variety of nutrients and food groups, and watch your skin get its glow back over time.<\/p>\n<h2>8. Be consistent and patient.<\/h2>\n<p>Another not so sexy but super-important piece of advice: Be consistent and patient with your routine. As with anything, consistency is key. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to see an immediate result when it comes to brightening,\u201d says Dr. Kim. \u201cIt takes time to see a real meaningful difference because pigment doesn\u2019t disappear overnight.\u201d Akram says, \u201cYou can start to see a brighter complexion within a week by focusing on exfoliation, hydration, and using ingredients like vitamin C or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/gallery\/best-niacinamide-serum\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">niacinamide<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While you can instantly brighten your complexion within days or a week, more lasting results in fading dark spots, acne scars, or improving tone will take much longer than that. \u201cOur skin sheds old cells every 30 to 45 days, so for best results, it\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint,\u201d says Wilson. \u201cFor more stubborn pigmentation, you may need somewhere closer to six months to a year to see a significant decrease.\u201d Remember to remain diligent with your skin care regimen to maintain your results.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Incorporate in-office lasers.<\/h2>\n<p>For professional results, visiting your dermatologist\u2019s office will be your best bet. \u201cLaser treatments and light therapies can also target pigmentation and boost collagen for a more even tone and glow,\u201d says Akram.<\/p>\n<p>As for what lasers to consider for brightening, \u201ca gentle laser like Clear and Brilliant can improve skin texture and pigment,\u201d says Dr. Kim. \u201cFraxel is another laser that is more aggressive than Clear and Brilliant that yields more dramatic improvements in texture and pigment (think of Clear and Brilliant as a baby Fraxel!).\u201d On <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/story\/best-laser-treatments-bipoc-dark-skin-tones\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text link\">darker skin tones<\/a>, \u201cPico lasers are also helpful for pigmentation,\u201d recommends Dr. Kim.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You can also get microdermabrasion done professionally. It \u201cworks by physically exfoliating the surface layer to improve texture and brightness,\u201d explains Akram. After your professional treatments, make sure to take a break from those actives like vitamin C and retinol in favor of \u201cgentle, hydrating skin care to support the skin barrier and maintain results,\u201d&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.glamour.com\/photos\/6a6a88b45fc9c03035994168\/16:9\/w_1280,c_limit\/2038457340","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}