Yes, freckles are trending and can be considered cute to those looking at us. There are plenty of videos trending on how to create a freckled makeup look. If you’ve lived with freckles most of your life you are probably ecstatic about this. I personally hate my freckles and do everything under the sun to cover them up. Those who know and love me, however, beg to differ and would argue that they love my freckles and find them charming. We are our own biggest critics, though. Skin care concerns and things that we want to treat and address are personal to everyone and so today we are talking of course about hyperpigmentation.
What is hyperpigmentation?
So for starters an important question to understand is what is hyperpigmentation? Hyperpigmentation is a condition of the skin where patches of skin darken, darker than the original color of the skin in neighboring areas. What is happening is that an excess of melanin, natural pigment, is being produced in the hyperpigmented areas.
What causes hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation is caused by an increase in melanin production of the skin due to trauma or inflammation of the skin.
Tyrosinase, which is a key enzyme that works in the production of our pigment. Tyrosinase produces pigment in the melanocyte and is spread out in the melanosome and it travels to the skin cell and it releases pigment on the skin. Tyrosinase contributes to the over production of melanin which in turn becomes your hyperpigmentation.
Treating hyperpigmentation based on what caused it
One of the biggest causes of hyperpigmentation is due to exposure to the sun. Therefore in light of sounding like a broken record, the best way is to take preventative precautions by wearing sunscreen. What is the best sunscreen? At the very basic level the best sunscreen to wear is the one you’ve put on your skin. However, if you want to truly protect your skin and prevent any kind of irritation or potentially bad reaction. Good options for sunscreens are tinted versions for the face that have iron oxides to expand the coverage not only uva and uvb but to optimize coverage to visible light. Iron oxides can usually be found in the ingredients section with the rest of the inactive ingredients
A popular option is Elta MD UV Clear which comes with a tinted version. In addition to sunscreen, not in replacement of sunscreen, you can also take a supplement
called Heliocare which has an active ingredient called Polipodium Leukomodus extract has been shown in studies to supplement the treatment of melasma because it has antioxidant properties and can protect from the sun in addition to sunscreen.
Hyperpigmentation due to inflammation
Inflammation can react to melanocytes. It is important to look at what is causing that inflammation. One example is acne and their bumps which can in turn lead to hyperpigmentation. If the acne isn’t treated you can’t take preventative action to prevent that hyperpigmentation from occurring. Being that acne can be a chronic condition, you can’t always just get rid of it easily. In this case it would be wise to meet with your dermatologist to work on a skin care plan to treat your acne which then can lead you to preventing hyperpigmentation due to the inflammatory bumps from acne. Find what’s causing your acne, treat your acne, prevent inflammatory bumps, prevent future hyperpigmentation.
Ingredients that address hyperpigmentation
- Hydroquinone, which may have a bad reputation is actually one that some dermatologists feel is one of the best(effective) treatments for hyperpigmentation but it gets a bad rap due to misuse. When used properly and with the exact suggested amount of time, under the supervision of a dermatologist, it should help rid of hyperpigmentation. The problem with hydroquinone and why it makes some people cringe is that if it is used improperly long term it can cause exogenous ochronosis. This is an irreversible darkening or dark spots around the areas where the hydroquinone has been used. This is why it is important to be under the supervision of a dermatologist when using this treatment. Used in a short amount of time can help break down initial hyperpigmentation and then transition to something sustainable that can continue the job safely.
- La Roche-Posay Retinol Gel
Treatment Routine
- Starting with tyrosinase inhibitors to prevent the overproduction of melanin is the first start. You can do this with hydroquinone if under the care of a dermatologist or by taking over the counter retinoids.
- Then working with a melanosome inhibitor which will stop the transfer of the pigment to the skin cell. Ingredients that will work to do this include niacinamides or retinoids. Retinoids can work to both inhibit tyrosinase and also inhibit the melanosome. If you can’t get a prescription from your dermatologist then you can turn to over the counter options. This is important, as a beginner you must start with a low dosage and start usage every 3 days, DO NOT USE RETINOIDS EVERY DAY. It can be a bit strong and cause irritation. Once your skin barrier has adapted you can increase after a month of use to every other day and change to every day the month after that as long as your skin is not showing signs of irritation.
- Increase skin turnover by exfoliating once a week or once using every 2 weeks using an alpha or beta hydroxy acid such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid. You may also opt for mandelic acid for more sensitive skin types.
Step 1. Start with a gentle cleanser like Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser.
Step 2. Follow with your active ingredient which can be your Retinoid
or your hydroquinone (Prescription only in the united states) but a good substitute is Alpha Arbutin Serum because it works in a similar way to hydroquinone but is an over the counter product that is safe to use when done right.
Or your exfoliating alpha or beta hydroxy acid (use one active ingredient per day, do not layer with another active ingredient, this may be too much for the skin) like Paulas Choice–SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid Exfoliant .
Step 3. Then moisturize with La Roche-Posay Double Repair Moisturizer and apply your sunscreen Elta MD UV Clear .
Addressing hyperpigmentation and its underlying causes is important when done sooner than when its become a bigger problem.