Hyperpigmentation Treatments

Dark skin can be very attractive. It certainly looks shinier and healthier than pale white skin. Dark skinned people also develop wrinkles later than fair-skinned people do. But dark-skinned people also have their share of problems, and hyperpigmentation is one of the biggest of them.

Simply put, it is a condition that leads to dark skins developing dark spots and patches, and also getting discolored. This is a common cause of distress among Asian and Africans, and this affects men as well as women. But of course, because of the links between beauty and gender in most societies, hyperpigmentation is a far bigger problem for dark-skinned women than men.

Depending on the severity of the problem, you can treat hyperpigmentation in a variety of methods.

Below are a list of some of these methods:

1. Laser treatment: This is used for moderately severe cases of hyperpigmentation. Laser rays are used to remove the damaged layers of the skin, leaving behind an inner, healthier layer. Chemical peels are sometimes used before laser therapy.

2. Acid peels: Hydroxy acids are used to exfoliate damaged skin and enhance the renewal of skin cells so that old, damaged skin is quickly replaced by new.

3. Skin lightening creams and bleaches: These are effective on hyperpigmented faces and if the degree of damage is mild, as with sun spots or acne marks. Most products use hydroquinone, glycolic acid or kojic acid, so check first for possible adverse reactions.

4. Medication: Doctors often prescribe Kinerase, Retin A, Renova, Avita and such medicines to treat hyperpigmentation and scars resulting from it.

5. Home remedies: Apart from those discussed above, two other useful home remedies for the problem of hyperpigmentation are aloe vera and almond peels. Aloe vera gels are available in the market if you cannot grow the plant yourself. Store crushed almond peels in a glass container. You can mix a little of this with milk or honey and apply on your hyperpigmented area, and see the results in a couple of weeks.

As we know, the more the production of melanin in the skin, the darker the complexion. But there are times when, usually because of injury, that melanin-producing cells behave abnormally, producing too much or inadequate amounts of melanin. In the case of the former, dark patches develop, while in the case of the latter, white or discolored spots appear. Thus, it is clear that the excessive or insufficient production of melanin is the cause of hyperpigmentation. In women, hormonal changes during pregnancy sometimes results in hyperpigmentation of the skin.

Most hyper pigmentation that occurs is found just under the surface of the skin, or in the epidermis. If it happens to go deeper, it gets more difficult to cure. A lot of hyperpigmentation is easy to trace back to an injury or bruise or even acne. These are referred to as inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and can be treated with hyperpigmentation creams. For spots caused by acne, of course, a good oil-control face wash or acne cream can eliminate the possibility of hyperpigmentation altogether.

Melasma or dark patches is another example of hyperpigmentation. It is easily possible to get rid of a hyperpigmented face. Laser treatments are available these days which can cure hyperpigmentation marks permanently.

Then there are are prescription lightening creams, which contain bleaching agents that lessen the hyperpigmentation marks considerably.

Most of these creams use bleaching chemicals such as hydroquinone and kojic acid.

But if you are apprehensive about the side of these, then you could ty out some home remedies that are also effective in dealing with post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and other skin hyperpigmentation in general.

Potato, tomato and cucumber are three vegetables that have known properties for lightening dark spots on the skin. Add to these other skin-soothing ingredients such as lemon juice, honey or rosewater and prepare your own homemade hyperpigmentation treatment pack. These remedies are particularly useful for hyperpigmentation scars such as those left by acnes and bruises.

If you have a problem of hyperpigmentation, you must be careful about how much you expose your skin to the sun. You have no option but to use a good sunblock cream, and you should also check with your dermatologist if your skin reacts adversely to a particular drug or group of drugs.