4 Common Types of Pigmentation and How to Treat Them Effectively

Skin pigmentation refers to darkening of the skin because of the skin’s excessive production of melanin. There are common types of skin pigmentation and fortunately, there are safe and effective ways and options available to treat it.

Age Spots

Age spot or liver spot is one of the most common type of hyperpigmentation. Age spots are usually flat and dark spots that can be seen in areas of  exposed frequently to sunlight such as the face, neck, hands, arms, and even back.  Among the causes of age spot are aging and over exposure to sunlight which can be seen on people from 40 years old above.

There are several prevention and treatment to reduce and brighten age spots. It can prevented by avoiding too much sun exposure and observing a healthy diet such as avoiding too much consumption of unsaturated fats, which can hasten the formation of the unwanted age spots. Natural and healthy fats are recommended to use such as olive oil and coconut oil to prevent further occurrence of age spots.

Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment is commonly used to address age spots by a series of light treatments. But if having an IPL is too much for you then you can consider using lightening products such as Cosmelan‘s depigmentation mask and creams which contains hydroquinone, an effective lightening agent.

Freckles

This hyperpigmenation looks like brown peppery spots in the skin commonly seen on children and young adults. However, unlike age spots, freckles may fade away as a person ages.

Freckles are caused by over production of melanin in the body, and over exposure to the UV rays of the sun. As soon as the melanin in your skin is damaged by the rays of the sun, the end result are freckles. Another cause of freckles is genetics – if your parents have freckles, you’ll tend to have one. Although some people find it to be attractive to have few freckles on the cheek, others may find it disturbing.

Freckles can be prevented by simply using sun screen products, protective clothing, and if possible stay indoor during peak hours of the sun from 10am till 4pm.

Aesthetic treatment such as the Limelight Photofacial can reduce freckles by using pulses of light that targets the pigments in the skin. It can lighten the appearance of freckles without any discoloration. This is a safe and non invasive type of pigment removal procedure that uses Intense Pulse Light (IPL) technology were pigments are removed after each treatment. It targets skin redness, the effects of sun damage and especially hyperpigmentation. This procedure may cause a little tingling sensation but is not painful.

Melasma

Although this condition usually affects pregnant women, it can also affect men especially if one uses hormone replacement therapy and for women who takes contraceptive pills. This hyperpigmentation is due to too much activity of your melanocytes caused by estrogen and progesterone. Along with too much activity comes the enhanced production of melanin once you expose yourself to sunlight. This is commonly located in areas of the body like your neck, nose, cheek, even lips and of course your forehead.

It can be prevented by using an effective sunscreen, wearing a hat with wider brim or making use of sunglasses. Melasma can be also be lightened using safe and effective skin products with hydroquinone. But if you are really eager to get rid of this mask of pregnancy condition, you can also consider the Limelight Photofacial.

Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)

PIH is a condition usually occurs when your skin suffered an injury. If you have acne or lesions on your skin, it is usually followed by the occurence of PIH.

Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation can also be treated using the IPL Photofacial. This procedure takes about 30 minutes to perform where pulses of light are used. This light pigmentation treatment is quite safe and effective. It is not only intended for people with PIH but even those with sun damaged skin.

Spots or scars caused by acne can also be addressed with Dermapen, a “skin-needling” procedure. This treatment breaks up this fibrous and uneven scar tissue and stimulates the growth of new tissue for a smoother skin. However, this treatment includes a few days of downtime but it results to a healthier skin, and it provides a healthy foundation for new skin.

In determining the recommended treatment for your pigmentation, it is always best to consult an experienced dermatologist or aesthetic doctor. Especially some of these treatments may depend on the depth of pigmentation on the skin as well as the downtime of the treatments.

About Cutis Medical Laser Clinics

Cutis Medical Laser Clinics, an award-winning aesthetic clinic and age management clinic in Singapore, is based on the fundamentals of scientifically proven “evidence-based” aesthetic treatments.

We focus on patient education and are committed to providing our patients extensive information about any proposed treatment plan.