How to deal with skin pigmentation: Treatment and Benefits
Skin pigmentation is a disorder of the skin that results in the skin colour getting affected in patches. Melanin gives colour to the skin, hair and eyes, and when its production is affected, the skin develops patches of colour not matching the rest of the skin. Special skin cells make melanin, and when these cells get damaged or become unhealthy, they affect melanin production.
Conditions like pregnancy, Addison's disease, and excess sun exposure hamper melanin production and make your skin darker. When there is a production of too much melanin, more than the required quantity, then your skin becomes very dark, and if there is very little production of melanin, less than the required quantity, then your skin becomes very light. Genes too play an important role in affecting skin pigmentation, and some problems are inherited.
How does it affect you?
Skin pigmentation can be hereditary or due to factors ranging from conditions to diseases. Many health issues rarely accompany skin pigmentation, but patches of skin colour here and there create a lot of stress, and people seek out treatment for it.
What is skin pigmentation treatment?
There are many treatments of skin pigmentation to address hyperpigmentation especially. Ranging from skin lightening creams to treatments done by professionals like chemical peels and laser treatments, they all protect the skin and address the problems of hyperpigmentation and skin damage due to sun exposure.
Lightening creams are found over the counter, and your dermatologist can prescribe some. They are applied topically and also come in gel form. These kinds of creams work best for age spots, melasma, or patches of discolouration on most skin types.
Face acids or skin acids work by peeling off the topmost layer of the skin. Whenever you exfoliate, the old skin cells are removed, and new skin cells emerge to take the place of the old ones. This process evens the skin tone and makes it smooth.
Chemical peels use acids that are stronger than face acids to treat the affected areas of the skin. They reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation by peeling off the epidermis. They work especially well on age spots, melasma, sun-damaged skin and blotchy skin.
Laser peel uses targeted beams of laser to treat hyperpigmentation. 2 types of laser are ablative and non-ablative. Ablative lasers are intense and target removing layers of the skin. Non-ablative laser, on the other hand, targets the dermis to promote collagen growth and tightening effects and is not so intense.
Intense Pulse Light therapy (IPL) is a non-ablative treatment that stimulates collagen growth within the dermis. This is used for pigmentation issues, but it also works well on flat spots. It helps in reducing wrinkles, and spider veins.
Benefits of skin pigmentation treatment?
There are many benefits to skin pigmentation treatment. The obvious benefit of getting this done is acquiring an even skin tone. But there are other benefits as well. Most of the treatments mentioned above give the skin a radiant glow. It reduces the appearance of wrinkles and gives you a smooth complexion.
It also reduces the appearance of the pore size. There is also a dramatic effect on the acne scars as they appear reduced. It treats melasma and helps in controlling acne. It can also be helpful in preventing acne. Usually, these procedures are very safe when done by a professional in a professional setting. There is no recovery time required for these procedures, and they are hardly time-consuming. You can resume your daily activities as soon as you are done with these procedures.
Usually, procedures like skin acid, laser treatment and chemical peeling are done over the course of several weeks, depending on your skin type and skin condition. These procedures are non-surgical in nature and are non-invasive. They are also not painful and don’t require any local or general anaesthesia.
These modern treatments are a very effective way of boosting collagen in your face and hinder the production of acne scars leaving your skin smooth and youthful. It also helps in reducing the appearance of fine lines. Treatments like laser treatments and chemical peels are quite fast-acting and more effective than over the counter creams that you can buy in a store. Always consult your dermatologists before undergoing any procedure, and they will prescribe topical creams, which are better and more effective than over the counter creams.
Pigmentation treatments like laser treatments are very accurate and target only the affected area without damaging other areas of the skin. Their results are also long-lasting, and the doctors who conduct these treatments will guide you regarding the creams and ointments that can be applied after this treatment to prevent future pigmentation problems and keep the skin light and refreshed. Their results are long-lasting too, and many dermatologists offer these procedures in their clinics.
So, it can be concluded that skin pigmentation is a common problem affecting people of all ages and genders. Various reasons ranging from hereditary to sun exposure have an impact on the melanin production in your skin. When melanin production is hampered, patchy skin of odd skin tones appear. Though any other health issues do not often accompany them, they still can be a cause for stress.
Fortunately, thanks to modern technologies, many treatments have been developed specifically for addressing this issue. Medical professionals and dermatologists are the right people to consult before opting for any treatment as they will diagnose the cause behind the hyperpigmentation and guide you with correct pigmentation treatments. These treatments are very safe and effective with no downtime, and you can resume your daily activities once you are done with the treatment. These treatments are also non-invasive, non-surgical treatments that have the added benefit of providing smooth and youthful skin over and above addressing pigmentation issues. They also work very well in boosting collagen and reducing the appearance of acne scars.
