How to Treat Hyperpigmentation & Dark Spots

Last updated on January 4th, 2015 at 11:23 pm

Dark spots, sunspots, hyperpigmentation – whatever you call it, excess pigmentation on your skin is never fun to deal with, and can oftentimes be a huge point of concern for many people.

WHAT CAUSES HYPERPIGMENTATION?

If you spent too many years out in the sun unprotected, you may eventually come to a point (usually around your mid to late 20s) when all of that excess pigmentation starts to surface. Or (if your skin behaves like mine does), you dread every little breakout that you get because you know a dark mark is going to be left behind. Other factors behind excess pigmentation (aka “hyperpigmentation”) can be related to hormones – pregnant women sometimes experience melasma (mask of pregnancy), which typically shows up on the forehead, bridge of the nose, upper lip and cheeks. If you’re currently taking birth control for any reason, this may also be the culprit behind the blotchiness that you may be experiencing.

TYPICAL WAYS THAT HYPERPIGMENTATION IS DEALT WITH

I know from personal experience what hyperpigmentation can do to the self-esteem, and believe me, I’ve tried many ways to mask it. Covering it up with makeup is one way that most people try to even out the appearance of their skin, but this usually results in drawing more attention to it. Harsh bleaching creams loaded with chemicals can work, but the risk of irritation is incredibly high. Another option is the ingredient hydroquinone.

Contrary to what many people believe, hydroquinone is not a bleaching agent – it is something called a “melanin inhibitor.” It prevents your skin from producing melanin, which is what gives skin its color. Although hydroquinone is effective for evening out the skin tone, it has become a very controversial ingredient due to a study that suggests it may be linked to cancer, and has been banned in some European and Asian countries, as well as Australia.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR HYPERPIGMENTATION

Fortunately, there are other ways to combat blotchiness that are less harsh on the skin. With a bit of patience and the right products, superficial hyperpigmentation can be easily treated with a dedicated daily skincare routine.

Cleanse

First, prep your skin with a facial cleanser that contains lightening ingredients such as vitamin c, bearberry, licorice root or lactic acid. My personal favorite is Vitamin C Hydrating Facial Cleanser from Image Skincare. It contains vitamins a, c, and e to nourish, repair and protect skin – it also helps to stimulate collagen production for firmer looking skin and green tea to help soothe irritation and calm inflammation (if you have rosacea, this cleanser is gentle enough for every day use).

Exfoliate

Next, gently exfoliate your skin with a light facial scrub, brush or washcloth to remove dead skin cells. If you don’t remove those dead skin cells, they could potentially block the treatment products that you will apply next from penetrating your skin and being effective.

Treat

After you exfoliate, apply a serum that contains active skin brightening ingredients. Serums are specially designed with smaller molecules that can easily penetrate the skin and give you the results you want to see. As with your cleanser, look for serums that contain vitamin c, bearberry, licorice root or lactic acid. I prefer to use Ageless Total Skin Lightening Serum from Image Skincare – an oil-free serum with a natural blend of bearberry, kojic acid and licorice to lighten freckles, melasma and age spots. It contains high doses of vitamin c to immediately reduce the redness associated with rosacea and is ideal for all skin types. I’ve been using this serum for a couple of months now and have seen significant brightening of my skin overall.

Moisturize & Protect

Finally, be sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your face, neck, chest and hands every single day – even if you work indoors. There are sunscreens available that double as facial moisturizers, and come in formulations that are appropriate for normal/dry and oily skin types. I prefer Prevention Plus by Image Skincare because they come in an SPF 30 – 32 and offer a moisturizing option for dry skin and a matte option for oily skin.

Sunscreen can prevent darkening of current hyperpigmentation, as well as prevent future pigmentation from occurring, so it is essential that you use sunscreen (and invest in a cute floppy hat!) whenever you are using any skin brightening products. If you don’t use sunscreen in conjunction with skin brightening products, you run the risk of making the dark spots you want to disappear even darker.

These are just a few simple steps for treating hyperpigmentation, but if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. I love questions and am always very happy to help!