Skin problems like acne and inflammation can really bother us, but there’s another issue that can be a pain too – skin discoloration, especially as we get older. Hyperpigmentation is when the skin darkens or gets discolored because there’s too much melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. It can show up as age spots, sun spots, melasma (a mask-like discoloration that can happen during pregnancy), or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from things like acne or other skin injuries. It’s pretty common, and most of us will deal with it at some point in our lives. But what actually causes it, and how can we deal with it?
Causes of Hyperpigmentation:
- Sun Exposure: When your skin gets hit with ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, it tells melanocyte cells to make more melanin, which can lead to sun spots and age spots.
- Hormonal Changes: Things like pregnancy, using birth control pills, or hormone replacement therapy can mess with your hormones and trigger melasma.
- Inflammation: Skin issues like acne, eczema, or injuries can cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
- Medications: Some meds, like antimalarials and chemotherapy drugs, can make your body produce more melanin and cause discoloration.
- Aging: As we get older, those melanocyte cells start working overtime, leading to age spots or liver spots.
How to Treat It:
There are different ways to tackle hyperpigmentation, from using creams to getting pro treatments. Creams with stuff like hydroquinone, kojic acid, azelaic acid, retinoids, vitamin C, and niacinamide can help fade those dark spots. Pro chemical peels with alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) can exfoliate your skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots. Treatments like intense pulsed light (IPL) and laser therapies target and break down excess melanin, while microneedling can stimulate collagen production and cell turnover to improve hyperpigmentation.
Top Products for Hyperpigmentation:
- KEREN BARTOV Booster Peel & Glow Serum
- SARAH CHAPMAN Skinesis Skin Tone Perfecting Booster
- DR. BARBARA STURM The Good C Vitamin C Serum
- LA PRAIRIE White Caviar Essence Extraordinaire Illuminating Pre-Serum
- LA ROCHE-POSAY Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum With Niacinamide
These products can help reduce dark spots and even out skin tone. For example, the KEREN BARTOV Booster Peel & Glow Serum has AHAs and BHAs to exfoliate gently and reduce dark spots, while the SARAH CHAPMAN Skinesis Skin Tone Perfecting Booster targets age spots, sun damage, and more for a brighter complexion. The DR. BARBARA STURM The Good C Vitamin C Serum uses vitamin C to brighten skin, and the LA ROCHE-POSAY Mela B3 Dark Spot Corrector Serum with Niacinamide helps target dark spots and discoloration.
