When you are trying to care for your skin and you want it to look it’s very best, there are so many issues that can crop up which might appear to get in the way of that dream. Many times, all you really need to do is adopt a new behaviour or understand that there is nothing inherently wrong with your skin as it is. But if you want it to look different, that is of course up to you as well.
In this post, we are going to look specifically at the common skin issue of hyperpigmentation: what it is, how it comes about, and what you can do about it if you want to treat it.
What Is Hyperpigmentation?
Pigmentation is the word we use to refer to the colouring of the skin, so hyperpigmentation is when the skin has uneven pigmentation across its face. This happens because the skin is producing more melanin than it should, which is the pigment that is responsible for the colour of your skin. Hyperpigmentation can either appear in a few parts of the body or as a whole over the whole skin. Often, it can make the skin look uneven and patchy.
If you have ever had sun spots or age spots, this is an example of hyperpigmentation at work. Hyperpigmentation affects people of all skin types and colours, although those with darker skin are more likely to have it. It is also harder to manage on darker skin.
The Main Types
There are a few main types of hyperpigmentation that you might come across:
- Age spots. As we saw above, this is probably the most common type of hyperpigmentation, and they are also known as sun spots or liver spots. They are caused by sun exposure normally, so this is a matter of UV light increasing melanin production.
- This is where bigger patches of hyperpigmentation start to develop on the face, although it can happen on other parts of the body too such as the stomach. In any case, it can affect anyone, but it is more common in women as it can be caused by pregnancy and other hormonal changes.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is when hyperpigmentation is caused by some kind of reaction to skin trauma, and it means that there is an area of discolouration on the neck or face. You see it commonly amongst those who have eczema, and those with birthmarks.
Treatment
So how is it treated? A beauty therapist can help with hyperpigmentation of course, but the most important and powerful step you can take personally is to simply take care with how much sun exposure you get. Limiting your sun exposure is really going to help a lot. You can also use anti-pigment solutions to treat dark patches on the skin, and again this is something a beauty therapist can help with a lot.
Below are some of the ways which hyperpigmentation can be treated, which are available from me:
- Treatment of pigmented lesions with Cynosure Elite+ Laser
- Laser Skin rejuvenation with Cynosure Elite+ Laser
- A good daily skincare Regime with a vitamin A & Vitamin C based product such as Environ skincare
- SPF applied daily
- Regular facials to improve the condition of skin and appearance of pigmentation
- Microneedling treatments to help break down pigmentation & stimulate new cells, collagen & elastin through the body’s natural healing process
All in all, it is always something you can do something about, so don’t worry – and seek the help you want today.
