Hyperpigmentation Help
Hyperpigmentation Help
Hyperpigmentation happens to the best of us. It’s one of those unavoidable facts of life, like blackheads and taxes. It can be difficult to treat, which leads to frustration. But rather than just being annoyed, it can be helpful to understand some of the causes of pigmentation so you can figure out how to prevent and treat it.
Raquel x
The Causes
Before we dive into the causes, a little background on melanogensis (aka the formation of pigment). Located in the deepest layer of the epidermis (upper layer of our skin) we have these specialized cells called melanocytes. When triggered, they produce melanin, which is packaged into little organelles called melanosomes. Those melanosomes are transferred to the keratinocytes (skin cells) through dendrites, which are little tentacles extending from the melanocyte. Once the melanosome has been transferred, that melanin contained within is permanently embedded into the keratinocyte and will remain there until the keratinocyte reaches the end of its life cycle, dies, and is sloughed off. This can take anywhere from 30 days to three + months depending on your age and skincare routine.
Got it? Good. Moving on…
The first and foremost cause of pigmentation is postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH for short. These darker spots are often caused by inflamed blemishes, cuts, burns, etc. When the skin suffers a trauma that results in inflammation, this can trigger hyperactivity in the melanocytes, leading to an increase in melanin production. The good news with PIH is that the pigment deposits are often superficial, which means that we can stimulate the cells to turnover a little faster in order to clear that pigment and lighten the spot.
Another common cause of hyperpigmentation is melasma. Melasma is something that’s just for us ladies (#girlpower) and it is a bitch. Its cause is usually hormonal, which is why it’s very common during pregnancy. However, it can occur outside of a significant hormonal event, too. Because the melanocytes are dendritic (those pesky tentacles I mentioned earlier), melasma often appears in large patches and seems to never go away. It is very commonly exacerbated by heat, so if you have melasma and have managed to fade it, you may find that it comes roaring back to life after exposure to high temperatures. It is treatable, but not curable, so diligent management is a must. Last but certainly not least, we have sun damage. I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: a tan is a scar. It might be attractive, but it is still visible evidence of DNA damage. But even without achieving a tan, one can still accumulate enough UV damage to eventually lead to the darkened patches of skin that we refer to as sun spots. These typically begin to show up in our 30s and become more prolific and more prominent as we continue to age. This is why prevention is KEY. While we can’t go back in time to our teen years and apply that Coppertone a little better, we can change our habits today in order to prevent further accumulation of UV damage.
The Fixes
Now that we’ve covered the most common causes of hyperpigmentation, let’s talk about how to treat and prevent it.
One of the easiest and most obvious methods of prevention is sunscreen. By protecting your skin from UV radiation, you can mitigate further damage. If you suffer from melasma, look for a sunscreen that contains Iron Oxides, as these minerals are known to protect skin against visible light, which can also worsen melasma. Make sure to apply a generous layer of sunscreen whenever you’re out and about or next to a window, and reapply every 2 hours.
Rocky’s Recs:
Another hack for prevention of PIH and melasma is cryotherapy. Cold temperatures are helpful for reducing inflammation, so make sure to ice those zits, bug bites, and any other inflamed skin situations you come across. Cold therapy can help reduce the incidence of heat-based melasma flares by keeping your skin cool, and avoidance of high temperatures is often necessary, as well.
Rocky’s Recs:
Biologique Recherche Cryo Sticks
Retinoid use is one of my favorite tips for treatment of hyperpigmentation. Retinoids are Vitamin A products, and are absolutely essential for healthy skin. In addition to normalizing the functions of the skin cell, retinoids accelerate cellular turnover and regulate melanocyte function – two very important components of treating irregular pigmentation. Remember how melanin remains in the keratinocyte until it dies and is sloughed off? Accelerating cellular turnover is literally speeding up the process of that keratinocyte maturing and dying.
Rocky’s Recs:
Once cellular turnover has been accelerated, the next step is removing the dead cells from the surface of the skin. That’s where exfoliation comes in. I prefer chemical or enzymatic exfoliation over physical exfoliation. Chemical and enzymatic exfoliation use acids and enzymes respectively to dissolve the protein bonds holding the dead skin cells together, allowing them and the pigment contained within to be removed from the surface of the skin.
Rocky’s Recs:
Sofie Pavitt Face Mandelic Clearing Serum
Certain ingredients can be really beneficial in lightening existing pigmentation and preventing future hyperpigmentation, and these ingredients are called tyrosinase inhibitors. Tyrosinase is an enzyme that plays a very important role in the cascade of melanogenesis, so by inhibiting expression of this enzyme, you’re able to block the melanocyte from over producing melanin. Common tyrosinase inhibitors found in skincare products include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Kojic Acid, Niacinamide, Licorice Root Extract, and Tranexamic Acid. Oral Tranexamic Acid is particularly effective in treating melasma, and must be prescribed by a dermatologist.
Rocky’s Recs:
As you likely have experienced, hyperpigmentation can take awhile to fade, so it’s important to take a multipronged approach. The ideal routine would have all of the above elements in some form, and remember: Consistency is Key!