Pigmentation, hyper pigmentation, melasma, freckles, age-spots, liver spots, what do they all mean? Basically darkening or lightening of patches of skin, that's how I discovered a mark on my cheek, a darker spot which my eyes were drawn to, which appeared after the birth of my daughter.
Has this always been such a problem I asked myself, did people just tolerate this previously, or are we just more aware now? After some research from and speaking to a number of clients from our clinic I discovered what such a huge area of concern this is.
Primarily the three main causes are, sun damage, acne, and hormonal changes.
Pigmentation can be caused by too little or too much melanin, which affects your skins capability to fight off the harsh UV rays of the sun.
Genetics can also play a major role in pigmentation and many pigmentation problems can be traced back to our ancestors.
However, don't underplay the impact our high stress lifestyles have nowadays on the health of our skin: smoking, drinking and eating bad foods and the inability to relax and wind down can also contribute to this common complaint.
Sun protection clearly is something everyone should be addressing on a daily basis both in the winter and summer months, and from the early baby years.
No sun protection is total so if you read total block forget it.
However, an SPF of 30 + will provide an invisible veil over the skin preventing harmful UVA UVB rays penetrating the dermis.
A range such as Heliocare with high SPF of 50 or 90 is perfect.
If however, damage has already been done and the results are visible help is at hand.
Most Cosmeceutical companies do include a range specifically for this problem: NeoStrata, Melaclear and Jan Marini, are just a handful, which I'm sure was not so readily available some 10 years ago, backing up my theory that this is a much more prevalent issue today.
There are many skin lightening products to choose from using ingredients such as kojic acid, hydroquinone, Retinol (Vitamin A) liquorice root extract, embilica, phytic acid, bearberry leaf extract to name a few.
Some (such as hydroquinone) are prescription only therefore you must consult your doctor or a trained skincare professional.
Results are not achieved overnight as pigmentation does go deep beyond the dermis, but if used regularly as directed together with an effective sun protection visibility can be reduced massively.
Has this always been such a problem I asked myself, did people just tolerate this previously, or are we just more aware now? After some research from and speaking to a number of clients from our clinic I discovered what such a huge area of concern this is.
Primarily the three main causes are, sun damage, acne, and hormonal changes.
Pigmentation can be caused by too little or too much melanin, which affects your skins capability to fight off the harsh UV rays of the sun.
Genetics can also play a major role in pigmentation and many pigmentation problems can be traced back to our ancestors.
However, don't underplay the impact our high stress lifestyles have nowadays on the health of our skin: smoking, drinking and eating bad foods and the inability to relax and wind down can also contribute to this common complaint.
Sun protection clearly is something everyone should be addressing on a daily basis both in the winter and summer months, and from the early baby years.
No sun protection is total so if you read total block forget it.
However, an SPF of 30 + will provide an invisible veil over the skin preventing harmful UVA UVB rays penetrating the dermis.
A range such as Heliocare with high SPF of 50 or 90 is perfect.
If however, damage has already been done and the results are visible help is at hand.
Most Cosmeceutical companies do include a range specifically for this problem: NeoStrata, Melaclear and Jan Marini, are just a handful, which I'm sure was not so readily available some 10 years ago, backing up my theory that this is a much more prevalent issue today.
There are many skin lightening products to choose from using ingredients such as kojic acid, hydroquinone, Retinol (Vitamin A) liquorice root extract, embilica, phytic acid, bearberry leaf extract to name a few.
Some (such as hydroquinone) are prescription only therefore you must consult your doctor or a trained skincare professional.
Results are not achieved overnight as pigmentation does go deep beyond the dermis, but if used regularly as directed together with an effective sun protection visibility can be reduced massively.
SHARE
