HOW TO GET RID OF HYPERPIGMENTATION

Why do you get hyperpigmentation and skin discolouration?

‘This phenomenon is usually the result of your skin’s efforts to protect itself from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light’, says London aesthetics doctor, Dr David Jack.

When your skin is exposed to sunlight, the melanocytes in the deeper layers of your skin produce cells that contain a skin-darkening pigment called melanin. If certain areas of your skin overproduce melanin, you end up with darker patches of skin known as hyperpigmentation.

And it's not just the sun's rays that cause these patchy dark spots - recent studies have also shown High Energy Visible light (HEV), which is omitted from your smartphone, is also a culprit. Bad news for selfie addicts. 

Is there a difference between sunspots and hyperpigmentation? 
Hyperpigmentation is defined as any spot on your skin that’s dark enough to effectively stand out against the surrounding area. Sunspots are a type of hyperpigmentation.

‘The different types of hyperpigmentation are sun spots (sun damage), melasma (hormonally triggered), scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation’, says LA dermatologist, Dr Gary Goldfaden.

Is there a part of the body or face that’s more prone to pigmentation?

Your face, neck and chest are extremely prone to hyperpigmentation — particularly melasma. 

‘Melasma is initially caused by hormones, birth control pills, pregnancy, peri-menopause and menopause’, Dr Goldfaden explains. Exposure to sunlight increases the intensity of melasma making it trickier to more difficult to get rid of.

Can you use a hyperpigmentation home remedy to get rid of skin discoloration?
‘Looking at the properties that reduce pigmentation in skincare products is one way to go about home remedies’, says Dr Jack.  ‘For example, the enzyme, curcumin, and high antioxidant content of turmeric, plus the high concentration of citric acid in lemon juice can reduce pigmentation’, he continues.

The combination of vitamin C, higher levels of vitamin B6 and the enzyme catecholase in white potatoes can also regulate pigmentation.

Why does pigmentation occur more after your 30s?
Over the course of our lives, there is cumulative damage to the DNA of our skin cells as a result of damage from UV exposure and other environmental aggressors, like pollution. Initially, when we’re younger, our cells have much more robust repair mechanisms to repair the changes to our DNA repair, however, this ability to repair these changes declines gradually over time, resulting in more abnormalities.

‘Our ability to recover from sun exposure and remove excessive reactive pigmentation decreases over time, plus the response to sun exposure becomes heightened’, says Dr Jack.

This results in a stronger protective response by our melanocytes to overproduce melanin.

Source from: http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/beauty-style/skin/6916/how-to-get-rid-of-hyperpigmentation/#