Hyperpigmentation-the basic facts!
- By Luxe Body
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- 15 Jan, 2018
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Yes we hear you sigh, hyperpigmentation frustration is not uncommon
What is it and why does it occur?
Hyperpigmentation occurs when melanin is overproduced in certain areas on the skin.
Hyperpigmentation results in flat, darkened patches of skin that are light brown to black in colour, and can vary in size and shape.
There are many types of hyperpigmentation, but the following are the most common:
- Melasma or Cholasma is
often referred to as “the mask of pregnancy”, it typically affects 90% of pregnant women, so you are not alone. It occurs as a result of hormonal changes during pregnancy or in the use of birth control pills. It can cause dark and irregularly shaped areas on the face or arms that can be quite large.
- Pigment spots such as age spots are caused by sun exposure. For this reason, they appear mainly on body parts that are frequently exposed, such as the face, hands and arms. They tend to be small, darkened patches of skin.
- Freckles are caused by sun exposure, and commonly appear on the face.
- Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation
occurs when a skin injury or trauma heals, it leaves an area of discoloration behind once it heals. Commonly found among acne sufferers, and unfortunately it can also be caused by some cosmetic procedures such as dermabrasion, laser treatment and chemical peels, it does highly depend on how these are cared for post treatment.
There are other factors that can cause patches of skin to become darker – such as scarring, birthmarks, solar or actinic keratoses and skin cancers – these aren’t considered to be forms of hyperpigmentation.
What causes it?
- sun exposure,
- genetic factors,
- age,
- hormonal influences, and
- skin injuries or inflammation.
- Sun exposure-Sunlight triggers melanin production, making it the number one cause of hyperpigmentation. Melanin acts as your skin’s natural sunscreen by protecting you from harmful UV rays, which is why people tan in the sun. But excessive sun exposure can disrupt this process, which can lead to hyperpigmentation. Sun exposure can also exacerbate dark spots which are already there by making freckles, age spots, melasma and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
- Hormonal influences are the main cause of a particular kind of hyperpigmentation known as melasma or chloasma. It’s particularly common among women, evidence suggests that female hormones oestrogen and progesterone stimulate the overproduction of melanin when skin is exposed to the sun.Hyperpigmentation on the upper lip can occur due to hormonal changes. Unfortunately it affects so many pregnant women that it is also known as “the mask of pregnancy”. Prevalence is found in pregnant woman.
- Illnes ses, some autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases, metabolic disorders and vitamin deficiencies which can cause symptomatic hyperpigmentation. It is also know to be a side effect of certain hormone treatments, chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, antimalarials, and anti-seizure drugs.
How can we reduce it or prevent it?
- First and foremost is wearing a good sunscreen with an adequate block. You might ask, what is adequate block, I always try to use a sunscreen that has a good amount of zinc oxide, for example, one with >10% of zinc oxide is more ideal.
- Chemical peels involve applying an acidic solution to the face, hands or feet to remove the surface layers of the skin. These chemicals cause the skin to flake and eventually peel off, revealing new and evenly pigmented skin beneath.
- Collagen Induction therapy, AKA, Microneedling, if hyperpigmentation resides in the epidermis , it responds to microneedling and other treatments available. If the pigmentation is in the dermis, it is too deep for acid peels, but not to deep for microneedling. We would expect the skin to respond and show results after a number of treatments. We advise on having a combination of therapies using collagen induction therapy with chemical peels to boost the effectiveness of the results.
- Laser therapies have similar effects to the above two treatments. Laser does tend to be more precise as the skin therapist has more control over the intensity and direction of the treatment. Lasers involve treating the affected areas with high-energy light. Mild treatments work on the skin’s epidermis (surface layer), more intense treatments can penetrate the deepest layers of the skin making this an effective option for deep dermal hyperpigmentation.
Other options:
In recent years, a number of skincare products that claim to reduce hyperpigmentation have emerged. Most rely on one of the following active ingredients to decrease melanin production and reduce the appearance of dark spots.
These ingredients include and are not limited too: Vitamin C derivatives, Retinoid Acid, and Azelaic Acid.
Other treatments – such as jojoba oil, lemon juice, or following a sugar-free diet – can also be effective against hyperpigmentation. No scientific evidence is available to support these claims.
Hyperpigmentation occurs when melanin is overproduced in certain areas on the skin.
Hyperpigmentation results in flat, darkened patches of skin that are light brown to black in colour, and can vary in size and shape.
There are many types of hyperpigmentation, but the following are the most common:
- Melasma or Cholasma is
often referred to as “the mask of pregnancy”, it typically affects 90% of pregnant women, so you are not alone. It occurs as a result of hormonal changes during pregnancy or in the use of birth control pills. It can cause dark and irregularly shaped areas on the face or arms that can be quite large.
- Pigment spots such as age spots are caused by sun exposure. For this reason, they appear mainly on body parts that are frequently exposed, such as the face, hands and arms. They tend to be small, darkened patches of skin.
- Freckles are caused by sun exposure, and commonly appear on the face.
- Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation
occurs when a skin injury or trauma heals, it leaves an area of discoloration behind once it heals. Commonly found among acne sufferers, and unfortunately it can also be caused by some cosmetic procedures such as dermabrasion, laser treatment and chemical peels, it does highly depend on how these are cared for post treatment.
There are other factors that can cause patches of skin to become darker – such as scarring, birthmarks, solar or actinic keratoses and skin cancers – these aren’t considered to be forms of hyperpigmentation.
As we age it’s natural for our cheeks to start to sag and lose their elasticity. As they sag they can give us a jowly look that ages us. However there are way to combat this sag and reclaim our natural beauty.As we age the fat pads in our face start to loose their elasticity and naturally as we lose collagen in our skin – Sleeping on our sides can also naturally drag down our face on the side we sleep on. Although our skin sagging slightly is a natural occurrence there are many surprising things we are doing to make it worse.
What are Nasolabial folds?
Our Nasolabial folds are the two folds of skin that that run from each side of the nose to the corners of the mouth. As we age these may tend to deepen and grow in length, thus giving a more aged looked.
Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins capable of stimulating your cells and causing rejuvenation. This helps to maintain the firmness and elasticity of the skin. Daily use of products containing growth factors have been scientifically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines, improve skin tone and texture. They are NOT Growth Hormones! Aging and sun-damaged skin require growth factors to maintain itself. However cells in aging skin make less growth factors than cells in youthful skin. One approach to support the levels of skin rejuvenation is to regularly use skin care products with a high concentration of stable growth factors.
Where Do Growth Factors in Skin Care Products Come From?
Advances in biotechnology over the last 20 years have found that growth factors can come from multiple sources. They have been found in several different human cells grown in a laboratory (skin cells, bone marrow stem cells, fat stem cells), extracted from one’s own blood PRP - Platelet Rich Plasma or from non-human sources such as plants and believe it or not snails. Whilst all cells can and will produce growth factors, the actual composition of the growth factors produced is more ideal to cells that produce them, for example, a snail will produce growth factors which assist in the growth of snail, the same logic can be applied to plants. Another example, is fat stem cells, are likely to produce growth factors that assist in the function of fat cells.
Skin rejuvenation is a complex process and is executed and regulated by an equally complex signalling network involving numerous factors, those include growth factors-human, cytokines and chemokines.Therefore, to maintain optimal skin health, ideal growth factors would be produced by skin cells, called fibroblasts, whose main function is to produce the components necessary to support the skin. Another important aspect is the concentration and stability of the growth factors in the product. It has been reported that the higher the concentration the greater the stability of the growth factors and thus their ability to work.
The question many people then ask is, do the topically applied human growth factors actually work?
A number of clinical independent studies over the past 15 years, have highlighted the benefits of topically applied growth factor products showing improvements in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, texture, and discoloration. The studies show that, depending on the quality of skin, good results take 6-12 weeks of twice a day use. The diligence is definitely worth it as the improvement in skin appearance is very impressive!
- reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as a result of new collagen synthesis
- improve the appearance of age spots and evens out pigmentation
- reduce skin roughness
- improve skin texture and elasticity
- improve skin smoothness and tightness.
Most studies show visible reduction in crow’s feet lines, under-eye skin texture, and overall radiance. Combinations of growth factors with strong antioxidants tend to show results sooner, typically within 4-8 weeks. TNS Essential Serum® provides a combination of stable growth factors (TNS Recovery Complex®) with strong antioxidants (APS Corrective ComplexTM) designed to provide this rapid effect. Over 11 clinical studies have been conducted looking at cosmetic efficacy with TNS Essential Serum® with results showcasing its ability to improve the overall appearance of skin.
These are more studies than any other topical cosmetic growth factor product in the market today.
Many brides and grooms worry about their wedding diet but what about their Skin diet!? I know I personally worried about both. As with anything the earlier you start the better and typically we recommend a minimum of 3 months if you are not already following a skincare regimen. Lets see how you can get your best wedding glow (and photos of course!) .
Step 1: Evaluate your current routine.
First off if you are trying to up your wedding skin game then a consultation is essential. At Luxe Body we will completely analyse your skin and help you decide what treatments or product are best for the results you want.
On your first consultation bring your usual skincare routine on your first consultation and our skin therapist will go through every step with you. Are you using the right skincare for the results you need? We’ll find out!
Step 2: Is there anything you want to change?
Fine lines and wrinklesDull Skin,
Acne and Congestion
Loose or sagging skin
Acne Scaring
Uneven skin tone
Step 3: Decide on treatments that will work best?
Fine Lines & Wrinkles
For fine Lines and Wrinkles there is a few different treatments that can help;
Botox
BOTOX is best for improving lines as well as preventing new ones! For crow’s Feet, frown lines, worry lines or smoker’s lines Botox is an effective treatment for removing fine lines or even reducing larger ones, making you look much fresher. Botox lasts 3-4 months – for brides who have never had it before we recommend trying it at least 1-2 months before the wedding. This way we will know exactly what you are happy with and will be mid treatment on the day!
Dermal Fillers
For sagging cheeks or a jowly face DERMAL FILLER can be injected into the cheeks and along the cheekbone to lift the face. Dermal filler can also be used to increase the volume or change the shape of your lips
PRP-Liquid Gold Facial
Using the most natural approach, we use your bodys own platelet rich plasma and microneedle this back into the skin. With this therapy and device we can encourage the skin to repair itself and diminish fine lines. Needling creates microchannels where we can add enriched PRP to your skin to not only encourage it to heal but add nutrients and growth factors. This treatment can also be used for dull skin or acne scaring.
Acne & Congestion
Acne is not just for teenagers! There is no age limit and many women suffer well into their 30’s or 40’s, particularly in times of stress (hello wedding!). For acne the most important thing is a good targeted skincare routine. Luxe Body hosts the SKIN MEDICA skincare range, Skin Medica is well renowed for age defying product rooted in science
Acne Scarring
Acne scarring is caused from improperly taking care of active acne, once we have your acne under control we can work on improving the scarring. A course of microneedling with or without PRP is needed. Alternating daily facial care and microneedling can be very effective for keeping your acne under control and at the same time improving your overall skin condition.
If you are looking for more than one treatment that is not a problem! At your first skin analysis which is free we can plan out your skin care regime until the big day – addressing any concerns and then maintaining your skin after.
Worried about your skin diet, wedding coming, lets make you amazing, Book Now for a free consult with Sarah from Luxe Body
The perfect lip according to da Vinci is 1:1.6 meaning your bottom lip is point 6 bigger than your top lip. Everyone has very different lip shape and other people may have a more defined cupid’s bow. The art of perfect lips comes from the artist, the injector. We analyse a client lips and then determine where it is best to put the filler in based on a number of measurements. We also take into account what sort of look you want as well. Many women fear looking overdone with dermal filler. We understand your concerns – we don’t like the unnatural look either. At Luxe Body we favour a more holistic approach, where we look to achieve a natural look which we achieve through facial assessment. Dermal fillers are a simple, safe way to improve your look.