Is your skin tone even? Or does it have a mottled or pigmented appearance? You are not alone! One of the most common skin challenge requests we receive about is pigmentation.
Whether it’s freckles when the sun comes out, melasma from hormone changes during pregnancy, the lingering post inflammatory hyperpigmentation marks from a breakout, or age spots…..pigmentation affects everyone at some point.
We can help you take control of skin tone with a ‘no-nonsense’ approach and care, that can help you take a sensible approach to your skin tone and create a smoother, more radiant complexion.
What Is Skin Pigmentation?
Understanding how your skin works helps you to understand pigmentation.
The term ‘pigmentation’ refers to the colour of your skin, and this colour is determined by a pigment called melanin which is produced by skin cells called melanocytes.
Melanin plays a key role in how light or dark your skin appears. Melanin for skin colour comes in two main types: eumelanin (which gives skin a brown or black colour) and pheomelanin (responsible for yellow or red tones). The combination and concentration of these different types of melanin create the vast array of skin tones that are seen in individuals.
Melanin production is triggered mostly by sun exposure. When your skin is exposed to UV rays, melanocytes produce more melanin to protect the deeper layers of your skin from damage. Melanin is distributed across the skin but when this melanin is distributed unevenly, pigmentation issues occur such as dark spots, freckles or lighter patches of skin. However, these conditions are often treatable and understanding the cause is the first step towards treating them.
Types of Pigmentation Issues
Pigmentation issues can manifest in several ways, ranging from lightened patches to darker spots. These variations occur when melanin production is disrupted, leading to uneven skin tone. Here are some of the most common types of pigmentation concerns:
Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation or ‘over pigmentation’, occurs when there is an excess production of melanin in certain areas of the skin, leading to dark spots or patches. This condition is often harmless but can be bothersome for those seeking an even skin tone.
Common types of hyperpigmentation include:
• Age spots or ‘sunspots’. These brown spots will most often appear on areas frequently exposed to the sun, like the face, backs of the hands, forearms, and shoulders. They are more common as we age, though anyone can develop them with prolonged sun exposure.
• Melasma: This type of hyperpigmentation, often seen during pregnancy is sometimes called the “mask of pregnancy”. It causes large, brown or greyish patches on the face. Hormonal changes, birth control, and sun exposure can all trigger melasma.
• Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH): This can occur after skin trauma, such as acne, burns, or cuts, dark spots can form as the skin heals. PIH is common in those with darker skin tones, as the healing process often results in excess melanin production.
Are Freckles (Ephelides) a type of hyperpigmentation?
Yes, they are. Freckles are small, light brown spots commonly found on fair-skinned individuals, particularly those with red or blonde hair. They are caused by an increase in melanin production in response to sun exposure. While freckles are often harmless and even considered a charming trait by many, they can become more prominent with increased UV exposure.
Lentigines
Lentigines, often referred to as liver spots or sunspots, are similar to freckles but larger and more defined. They are typically caused by years of sun exposure and tend to develop in older adults, though younger individuals can develop them too if they’ve had a lot of sun exposure over time. They usually appear on sun-exposed areas like the face, chest, and arms.
Pigmentation issues are a common part of life, and they can vary widely depending on their cause. Whether it’s dark spots, lighter patches, or an overall uneven skin tone, the good news is that many pigmentation issues can be treated or managed with the right care and products.
Salon Treatments for Hyperpigmentation
Some of our clients are happy disguising the pigment with a camouflage cream. These creams are waterproof, durable and do a good job at disguising the skin imperfection.
If this isn’t enough then we can provide a range of treatments for hyperpigmentation in the form of skin peels, cryopen and IPL (intense pulsed light).
All these treatments are excellent, but be mindful that if you re-expose your skin to the sun pigmentation has a habit of creeping back!
Hypopigmentation
Hypopigmentation happens when there is a reduction in melanin production, leading to lighter or white patches of skin.
This can result from various conditions or injury to the skin. Some forms of hypopigmentation include:
• Vitiligo: This autoimmune disorder causes the skin to lose its melanin in certain areas, creating patches of white or pale skin. The cause of vitiligo is still not entirely understood, but it’s thought to be related to the immune system attacking melanocytes.
• Albinism: A genetic condition where the body either produces very little or no melanin at all, resulting in very light skin, hair, and eyes.
• Post-Inflammatory Hypopigmentation: Like PIH, this occurs after an injury or inflammation, but instead of dark spots, the affected area becomes lighter due to reduced melanin production.
Treatment for Hypopigmentation
This isn’t an area we specialise in but remedial camouflage creams are very good for disguising white patches and Micropigmentation works well to disguise the irregularities in skin pigment.
What Causes Pigmentation?
Pigmentation happens when your skin creates more melanin in certain areas. The main causes of pigmentation are UV exposure from the sun, hormonal changes that are experienced during pregnancy or those from birth control which can cause melasma – the dark patches that appear on the face. Additionally, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can appear as a result of skin
injuries such as acne or from scrapes or cuts. Finally, genetics and lifestyle choices can influence how your skin handles pigmentation.
How Can You Manage Pigmentation at home?
Managing pigmentation doesn’t need to be complicated! The first and most important step is sun protection – using a broad spectrum sun cream daily is essential, even on cloudy days to prevent any further darkening of spots.
The second line of help is use of products that target pigmentation.
The following ingredients are essential in helping to reconstruct and protect the skin:
Vitamin C (to brighten skin), Niacinamide (to reduce dark spots) and retinol (to speed up cell turnover).
Our recommendations are Dermalogica’s ProBright collection of products to help with evening skin tone and targeting hyperpigmentation. Of course, exfoliating the skin goes hand in hand with product application to remove dead cells and fade pigmentation over time.
Lastly, if products are only helping so much, a final option are chemical peels or laser therapy which can both work wonders by targeting pigmentation in different ways. Chemical peels not only exfoliate, but stimulate skin renewal, break down melanin and boost collagen production. Chemical peels are set as regular treatments; the frequency is determined by how superficial the peel is based on the level of damage of the skin.
Not sure what is best for you?
Our expert skin therapists can help to find the perfect balance for you.
A skin consultation will give you the time to ask questions and have solutions explained to you in depth for you to choose the right pathway to achieve your skin goals,
If you would like any more information on pigmentation treatments, call the Mandalay on 01829 470570 or book here
We look forward to helping you.
