Hyperpigmentation and skin discolouration affects many people worldwide.
The pigment of our skin serves a very real purpose in some respects. Melanin provided us with the means to develop darker skin that could provide more natural protection against the sunlight.
However, many clients struggle with patchy pigmentation, which they feel can spoil their smooth and even complexion.
Pigmentation problems are generally harmless in medical terms. Some people see them as quirky, while others are embarrassed and try to cover them up with makeup.
What Causes Pigmentation?
Most often, an excess of melanin provides pigmentation. This can cause dark spots on the skin, depending on the skin cells known as melanocytes. This melanin in the skin can provide some protection against the UV rays emitted by the sun.
This can develop in various ways. Most common is that of excessive sun exposure, such as those who work outside. The likelihood of pigmentation problems increases with age. Senile lentigo (age-related sunspots) affects 90% of white people over the age of 50 years old.
Sometimes, hormonal changes during pregnancy or oral contraceptives can cause hyperpigmentation.
What are the symptoms of pigmentation?
- Dark spots or marks on the skin
- Developing darker skin over time in an uneven manner
What are the consequences of not treating pigmentation?
Pigmentation isn’t considered harmful or a negative skin condition, but it can cause some confidence issues in people who want to retain the colour of their skin naturally.
It can be improved using the latest non-surgical high-tech skin treatments:
Pigmentation treatment options
Modern aesthetic medicine has a number of options that help to improve pigmentation.
- IPL laser treatment
- CO2 fractional laser treatment
- Obagi NuDerm System® – medically supervised skincare to tackle sun damage
- Dermaroller micro-needling, to boost the skin’s own regeneration, promoting collagen production for smoother, tighter skin; while also tackling pigmentation
- Skin peels for intensive exfoliation, erasing fine lines and stimulating the skin’s regeneration
- GeneO+ medical facial to smooth the skin’s texture and appearance through a comprehensive process of exfoliation, infusion, oxygenation, tightening and contouring processes