What is hyper pigmentation? Melanin is the substance that imparts colour to skin. People with dark skin have high levels of Melanin (and vice versa). In hyper pigmentation, there is localized increase in the level of Melanin particularly in some areas of in Skin and nails.
How Melanin is produced? Melanin is normally produced in the body in response to Ultraviolet radiations. Melanocytes are the cells that produce melanin. Melanin offers protection against UV radiations. Melanin is the pigment that imparts color to eyes, hair, lips and skin.
Causes of Hyper pigmentation:
1. Trauma (Burns, UV Exposure, Post Surgical, Radiation Exposure
2. Inflammation (Addison’s Disease, Cushing’s Disease, Smoking, Porphyria, Fungal Infections, Hemochromatosis)
3. Hormonal (Acanthosis nigracans, Melasma, Linea nigra)
4. Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
5. Aromatase deficiency
6. Nelson’s Syndrome
7. Graves Disease
8. Drugs (Iron, Steroids, Oral Contraceptive Pills, NSAIDS, Phenytoin, Antimalarials, Amiodarone, Antipsychotics, Cytotxic drugs, Tetracyclines)
How To Remove hyper pigmentation?
This is the question of the day. The basic principle of treatment of any disease is as under;
1. Identify the causative agent
2. Remove the causative agent
3. Treat the symptoms
4. Prevent the recurrence of disease
As evident from the causes, the causative agent varies widely in cases of hyper pigmentation. Proper treatment of hyper pigmentation starts with the identification of the causative agent. For this, there is a wide variety of tests to choose from. Hyper pigmentation is not an innocent disease. It can be the 1st manifestation of a lethal process.
Getting Rid of HyperPigmentation
A person can get rid of hyper pigmentation by using some simple measures such as follows;
Sunscreen
SunscreenMany sunscreens are available commercially. As mentioned earlier, Ultraviolet rays are the leading cause of hyper pigmentation. Sunscreen blocks such rays to some extent and reduces the exposure. So if you are an outside type of person, you should regularly use sunscreens.
Hydroquinone
It is available in forms of topical ointment, lotions and is component of skin whitening creams. Its safety has not been established by Food and drug administration of USA but its role as a de-pigmenting agent has been established beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hydroquinone is present in lot of naturally occurring compounds. It is also a part of our daily consumable drinks, beer and coffee in particular. Hydroquinone mixed with alpha hydroxy acids has been shown to be very effective in removing hyper pigmentation (particularly of face and hands).
Kojic Acid
It is obtained from fungi. It is commercially available as component of skin whitening cream. It is also available as a prescription ointment for the treatment of hyper pigmentation.
Face Masks
Face MasksNow a days, face masks have become hot favourite for the treatment of hyper pigmentation. These masks are made up of natural substances like lemon juice, cucumber juice, aloevera, yogurt, tomato and vinegar. The composition varies but the concept behind the use of face masks is same. They cleanse the face, remove the excess dirt and give a fresh look to the face.
Azelic Acid
This compound is naturally present in rice, wheat and barley. It can also be obtained from Oleic Acid. It is a component of creams and lotions that are used for the treatment of hyper pigmentation. It has been shown to be very effective against inflammatory skin disorders (that cause hyper pigmentation).
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is naturally found in citrus fruits (lemon, orange etc). It strengthens the collagen linkage in skin. It also aids in de pigmentation of skin.
Do you have good tips to get rid of HyperPigmentation – then share it with our readers and we’ll add the tip to our list.