Written by Rachel Lamont, Owner & Holistic Medical Esthetician
Over the years I’ve had many clients come into my spa asking how to combat uneven pigmentation damage in the skin. So, I decided to put this little article together for anyone struggling with pigmentation problems. This particular article will provide you with some extra information on the pigmentation disorder called Melasma.
Hyper-pigmentation is caused by an overproduction of melanin in the skin. Melanin is produced by the melanocyte cell that lives in the skin. It is the melanocytes job to produce pigmentation to protect the DNA, as well as the physical structures of the skin. When skin, and more specifically melanocytes, feel that they are being over exposed to UV they start producing melanin. This melanin acts like little umbrellas to shield the skin cells from being damaged by UV. This is the process the skin goes through when we get a tan. In some cases, the melanin is produced in an uneven fashion and can show up as pigmentation or “sun spots” on the face. And in other cases, this process can go into hyper-drive, over-producing in certain areas - causing uneven, unwanted pigmentation blotches.
Another form of hyper-pigmentation in the skin is called Melasma. Melasma is a common skin condition that occurs when your melanocyte over produces melanin in an uneven pattern, usually on the face, neck, and chest, caused by hormonal changes. Another word for this is “chloasma”, or a “pregnancy mask,” which can occur during a woman’s pregnancy. The condition is much more common in women than in men, though men can also get it too.
Melasma is defined as large hyper-pigmentation marks that cover the face, neck and chest and forearms of a woman during a hormonal change, and may develop during pregnancy, with the use of birth control, hormone therapies, some medications, or other large hormonal changes a woman may go through. Areas of hyper-pigmentation can appear on any area of the body, but they appear most commonly on the face. It can also worsen with prolonged sun exposure. This condition does not do any physical harm to the person, but they may begin to feel self-conscious about the way it looks, causing psychological harm.
One way to get an idea of the pigmentation damage that already lies in your own skin is by visiting your esthetician or skin care specialist, and going under what the industry calls a “Woods Lamp”. A woods lamp is a tool used by skin care professionals to closely see and identify the extent of different disorders including pigmentation and bacteria in the skin, under black light exposure. Blacklight is invisible to our naked eye because it’s in the ultraviolet spectrum, with a wavelength just shorter than the colour violet. Normal healthy skin will be slightly blue under the lamp, but shows white spots where there is thickened skin, yellow where it is oily, and purple spots where it is dehydrated.
Some people’s melasma pigmentation goes away on its own over time, or after pregnancy is complete, but most times we have to use professional skin care treatments and products to help reduce the appearance, and depth of the melasma. There are many different ways to treat pigmentation in the skin. Some skin care professionals use, (in my opinion, toxic) skin lightening products, including the popular solution-hydroquinone topical. Some of these topical products are steroids and prolonged use of these ingredients can be toxic to a person as a whole, and damaging to our inner organs.
While not all pigmentation caused by melasma will always clear up with treatment, there are certainly things you can do to minimize the appearance of discoloration and prevent it from worsening. These include;
· Using professional high-grade products that target spots to lighten, brighten heal and protect the affected area(s). Including vitamin-A & Retinol, vitamin-C, licorice, Mandelic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Kojic acid, Malic acid.
· Wear sunscreen every day with an SPF 30+, and preferably a natural, chemical-free one. Ask us about the differences between physical and chemical sunscreens!
· Getting rid of any toxins, perfumes, dyes or artificial waxes from your skin care. There are lots of artificial ingredients that are skin irritants in many leading drug store skin care brands. Skin irritation that lead to rashes and even acne as well. Skin irritation can further develop pigmentation in the skin, especially when you already have a condition like melasma. Any heat caused by irritation and rashing in the skin can trigger the release and development of more melanin in that same un-even fashion.
· Wear protective clothing or a wide brimmed hat that shields you or provides shade for your face and body - on the daily.
· Use natural mineral makeup, such as the Jane Iredale line, to cover and protect the areas of discoloration, as well as other unaffected areas to ensure no further skin is being damaged.
· Balancing your hormones - seeing a naturopath is sometimes a great place to start, to see where your hormone levels are at by taking a blood test.
· Ingredients like Vitamin A and Retinol work to strengthen the skin and help it turn over more quickly, this is a great tool for hyper-exfoliating the skin WHEN DONE SLOWLY AND CORRECTLY.
· Vitamin C which helps reduce pigmentation and brighten the skin as well as assist in healing and feeding collagen.
· Reducing or eliminating some prescription medications, including birth control pills and hormone therapies. Of course, if you are going to change any medication that pertains to your health, be advised and seek out a professional doctor’s opinion. There are definitely reasons why we do go on certain medications, so to have a professional’s opinion before getting OFF of them is very important.
· Micro-needling is an awesome and effective way to penetrate to the deeper layers of our skin to physically break up pigmentation patches. Micro-needling along side a professional skin care regime comprised of lightning, brightening, and healing ingredients, as well as daily sunscreen wear, is an extremely helpful solution for healing melasma, in most cases.
· Dermabrasion is another means of sloughing away dry, dead skin to reveal a brighter complexion, and so that your lightning and brightening skin care products can penetrate more efficiently and therefore be more effective.
· Moderating your body temperature is important for maintaining pigmentation changes as well. Overheating our body-sometimes even just once, can induce more pigmentation to be released from the melanocytes. Stay cool, keep hydrated.
Thanks for reading! If you happen to have any further questions in regards to pigmentation and how to reduce the look of it in your skin, please feel free to give us a call at the Spa or book a free consultation with one of our professional estheticians.
Hope to see you at the spa,
Rachel Lamont | Owner & Holistic Medical Esthetician
The Natural Art of Skin Care