Everyone has pigmentation in their skin. Pigmentation refers to a person's skin color. The skin color is determined by the amount of melanin in a person's skin. Darker skin has more melanin and lighter skin has less. Excess melanin can be produced by the skin in response to an "injury" such as a sun tan, trauma, or inflammation, and that is when darker spots can appear on the skin. Melanin can also be influenced by hormone levels, birth control pills and pregnancy (the "mask of pregnancy" commonly appears as darker spots in the cheek area). A broad patch of skin discoloration is referred to as melasma by dermatologists and skin care specialists. Melasma can occur in the epidermal layers, nearer to the surface of the skin, or the dermal layers, deeper within the layers of the skin. Epidermal hyperpigmentation is more readily treated because of the location.
This article will speak more about treating epidermal hyperpigmentation than dermal pigmentation - which still can be treated, but may be more stubborn. A dermatologist or skin care specialist can determine your level of hyperpigmentation using a Wood's lamp - a diagnostic dermatology tool - that uses ultraviolet light to look at the skin.
Before we discuss hyperpigmentation treatment options, one important note to make is that prevention is the key to keeping your skin even-toned and free of unwanted sun damage. Daily use of sunblock with an SPF of 30 or higher can make a world of difference for your skin in the long run. There are so many types of sunscreen and sunblock available these days, but what is recommended by specialists are those that provide a physical block from the sun. These physical sunblocks contain either titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide to reflect the sun's rays away from your skin. Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, provide protection but absorb the rays and can heat the skin up. If you do not have access to a physical sunblock, the use of a chemical sunscreen is recommended rather than not using any sun protection at all. If you are in a hot and sunny location, a hat also provides an excellent additional barrier, especially if you are going to be in the sunlight for prolonged periods of time.
Hyperpigmentation can be treated a variety of ways through home care or with various treatments at a physician's office, usually a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon.
Lately there has been an influx of "bleaching agent" type products on the market, at the drugstore or at the makeup counter. While some of these may help lighten your spots, you may not necessarily get the result that you are trying to achieve mainly because these over-the-counter products are not as strong as need be to provide optimum results. There are skin care products that are only sold through a physician that will be more effective. Most of these products contain hydroquinone, a lightening agent, and are often paired with a retinoid, a product that increases cell turnover. Products containing alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) and amino fruit acids also accelerate the shedding of dead skin cells and the production of new ones, keeping the skin looking vibrant and healthy.
Exfoliating the skin - which encourages more rapid cell turnover - is also another way to speed up the process of shedding hyperpigmented skin. Medical-grade chemical peels, done under a physician's supervision, create a "controlled" injury to the skin that causes exfoliation. Often a chemical peel can be done in conjunction with another type of treatment such as an intense pulsed light-based therapy procedure.
An intense pulsed light facial can significantly improve skin texture and reduce redness from rosacea, age spots, sun damage, spider veins and uneven pigmentation. This therapy works on many different levels, literally, because the broad spectrum of light is absorbed at different levels in the skin. The down time for a treatment like this is very minimal.
Another treatment for melasma and hyperpigmentation is fractional resurfacing. Instead of using light, this therapy uses radiofrequency to reach deep within the skin layers inducing a "controlled" injury under the top layer of the skin to maximize collagen production. Not only does this improve brown spots and textural irregularities, but it also works well to treat mild to moderate wrinkles.
The most intense treatment of hyperpigmentation would be to have a plastic surgeon or dermatologist perform chemabrasion. This is done under anesthesia and it combines a mid-dermis peel with dermabrasion. This is a much more aggressive treatment with a definite down time for proper healing. Most people who have mild melasma or hyperpigmentation spots can find other treatment options that are less expensive than chemabrasion and provide very acceptable results.
Hyperpigmentation, though usually not life threatening, is a popular concern because people like to put their "best" face forward. The good news is that pigmentation correction is possible but it does take time. Many of the above mentioned procedures usually have to be done in a series over a span of weeks or months. There is no "quick fix" (other than cover-up make up) for treating hyperpigmentation but if you have the patience and resources, there are therapies that will provide lasting results.
No comments:
Post a Comment