Our skin contains melanocyte cells that produce melanin. Melanin gives our skin its color. Whenever melanin is produced in excessive amounts, it leads to hyper pigmented skin. This results in freckles and dark spots on the skin. This is generally caused due to excessive exposure to the sun, trauma or could be a side effect of certain drugs. Well, this is not a very serious medical condition and many times there are home remedies available to fix it. However, there are cosmetic solutions available for skin Pigmentation Treatment.
Understand the different types of hyper pigmentation
Once you understand the various types of pigmentation, you can decide the course of action and treatment you would like to take. You can also decide upon the lifestyle changes you would like to make to prevent pigmentation rather than treat it later. Here are the different types of pigmentation
Hormonal fluctuations cause pigmentation. This is a very common condition that is seen during pregnancy. It can also be caused due to thyroid dysfunction or hormone therapy medication.
Another type of pigmentation is called as liver spots or age spots. They are seen on most of the people over 60 years of age. Mostly this pigmentation is caused by exposure to UV rays.
Post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation is usually caused due to skin injury, burns and acne. It could also be caused by the side effects of some other skin treatments.
So, what do you do about pigmentation?
The very first step is to discuss your condition with your dermatologist. He will help you understand which type of darkening your skin is affected with. You will be asked questions regarding your lifestyle and medical history in general. Some of the questions asked will be:
- What is the level of your exposure to sun? How often do you use sun screen?
- Current and past medical conditions will be examined.
- Were you recently pregnant?
- Did you recently take any birth control pills?
- Are you on any medications right now?
- Have you undergone any cosmetic surgery or skin treatments professionally?
- Have you used sun screen creams recently?
See Also: Rejuran
What about my treatment options?
Your doctor may recommend some of the topical applications that contain alpha hydroxy acids.
Well, if these do not work, your doctor may suggest some cosmetic procedures done, such as skin peels that include some acid peels, intense pulse light therapy or laser skin resurfacing.
Other more advanced options are available at any skin care center. Well, it’s important that you understand the types and causes and available treatment options before you take a decision.
Over a period of time, with age, our skin develops dark spots and pigmentation. This is a natural process of aging. That is exactly why our beauty care treatments should also include skin pigmentation treatments that help you age gracefully and prevent dark circles. Here are a few treatments that you can do yourself at home and some professional treatments that can be done at a reputed skin clinic.
Natural home remedies require patience and the effects are seen only after consistent and persistent efforts:
Papaya
Grate a papaya and extract the juice. Apply this juice to the pigmented area. You can even apply it to the entire face to get that shine and glow. Regularly apply this for about a month. You will begin to see amazing results. This is because the enzyme in papaya has properties that help remove dead cells. Every time you apply papaya juice, it removes dead cells and new cell generation gradually removes the pigmented parts.
Almond and milk
It is known that dryness is one of the causes of pigmentation. Removing the dryness is hence essential. Almond contains natural fatty acids. The nutrients present in almonds help nourish it. Milk is also known to be a lightening agent. For this treatment, soak almonds in milk overnight. Crush them into a paste. Apply this paste on the pigmented areas.
Guava and banana
The lycopene content of guava makes it a great treatment for darkening. Banana is also known for its lightening properties. Make a pulp by crushing guava and banana and apply on pigmented areas.
Avocados
Avocados are known to be rich in fatty acids, vitamin C and oleic acid. This makes them very good agents for rejuvenation and healing.
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter can help soothe and heal the skin as it has antioxidant properties. Cocoa nourishes and helps prevent hyper pigmentation.
Castor oil
Castor oil and vitamin E leaves your skin smooth and silky. Vitamin E helps revive it.
The following remedies require specialists and you can go for them if all the home remedies fail. Make sure that you visit a well-known clinic for these treatments.
Laser Toning
With the use of laser toning you can improve texture, tone and also reduce fine lines and wrinkles. This treatment is also used to reduce fine lines and sun spots. It leaves a fresh glow.
Oxy Facial
Oxy facial instantly hydrates and gives an instant glow. It uses a combination of ultrasound and pressurized oxygen stream.
Polishing
Gently removed dead cells with the help of tiny crystals that flow through a specially created hand piece makes it glow and reduces pigmentation. This is a painless procedure and works as a quick fix for your skin!
Freckles and ‘beauty spots’ can be seen as both a good thing and a bad thing. Periodically they come into fashion and are branded as ‘cute’, however some people can view their freckles as year-round unwanted blemishes and long for a more even skin-tone.
The process of covering up freckles with make-up can be time-consuming and burdensome and often fails to deliver the desired results.
Finding a pigmentation treatment to suit you and to remove freckles and other blemishes safely does not have to be difficult.
Until recently skin lightening using hydroquinone or one of its derivatives was very popular, but concerns about its safety have restricted its availability and use. Fortunately alternative treatments which are not only safer but more effective have been developed. The most significant of these are light based treatments i.e. laser and IPL, and chemical melanin suppressant peels. Each type of treatment has its strengths and it is now possible to choose a treatment that is specially suitable for the type of pigmentation problem, whether it concerns melasma/chloasma freckles, birthmarks, age spots and other manifestations of sun damage.
Pigmentation is a consequence of melanin which is the chemical in the body that causes a darkening of the skin. The body produces melanin in response to exposure to ultra-violet radiation to provide a natural protection from over-exposure.
IPL and lasers work by using wavelengths of light that are absorbed by a specific type of melanin called eumelanin. Eumelanin is the melanin that colours hair and skin brown and black. As the eumelanin absorbs the light it heats up to the extent that the melanin producing cells known as melanocytes are denatured and cease to produce further melanin. IPL treatment can remove and help lighten the appearance of blemishes on any part of the body, and is commonly used for:
o Freckles
o Birthmarks
o Sun damage
o Age spots
o Hyper-pigmented scars
Dermamelan is a specialist form of pigmentation treatment, used to treat melasma/chloasma. This condition causes areas of the skin to become darker due to frequent exposure to UV rays and is often associated with pregnant women and those experiencing certain hormonal fluctuations.
