Pigmentation explained

There are many types of pigmentation; I’m sure you will have heard of Hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is the name that healthcare professionals give to the patches of skin that become darker compared to the surrounding skin. This is very common side effect of pregnancy; women will often get discolouration on their face which is a form of hyperpigmentation. And, the types of hyperpigmentation include age spots, melasma, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Each of these has a different cause and benefit from a range of treatments and products; including creams and treatments to help improve the appearance.
Hyperpigmentation usually will occur when the skin produces more melanin; the pigment that gives skin its colour, which can make spots or patches of skin appear darker.
Hyperpigmentation is a common skin condition and affects people of all skin types.

Some forms of hyperpigmentation, including melasma and sun spots, are more likely to affect areas of skin that face sun exposure, including the face, arms, and legs. With the face, the high points of the face are most vulnerable as they hit the sun first and at an angle; these include the cheekbones, forehead/ temples and the upper lip!
Other types of hyperpigmentation form after an injury or skin inflammation such as cuts, burns and acne. These can occur anywhere on the body.
Having extra pigment in some areas of skin is usually harmless but can sometimes indicate another medical condition.

So what can we do about our pigmentation?

Well, even though hyperpigmentation is harmless, some people wish to improve the appearance of it. There are a range of treatments and methods that may help.

Firstly, prevent hyperpigmentation, or to stop it becoming more prominent:

Try to avoid exposure to the sun.

Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to protect the skin and stop hyperpigmentation from becoming darker. And, make sure you re-apply your sun cream as the effectiveness does wear off after a couple of hours.

Avoid picking at the skin. To prevent hyperpigmentation forming after an injury, avoid picking at spots, scabs, and acne.

Use sun blockers such as a cap or hat and shield your face/body from the sun.

Be careful not to go out in the sun after a medical procedure such as micro needling, chemical peels or dermaplaning as these treatments rejuvenate the skin creating new skin tissue and the sun will damage the skin if not avoided as it is more sensitive to sun light.

What treatments will help with hyperpigmentation?

Here at Kingswood Parks Clinics, we see many patients who suffer with pigmentation and we offer a range of effective treatments and medical grade skincare to target this concern.

A consultation is always required prior to treatment, to allow us to recommend the most suitable treatments and products for you, to achieve the results you require.

These may include one of or a combination of the following:

Dermaplaning; a manual exfoliation of the epidermis tissue which is essentially dead skin cells that only act as a barrier for products to penetrate through the skin walls to nourish where they need to.

Microdermabrasion; a procedure that uses fine crystals to remove dead skin cells.

Chemical peels; a chemical exfoliation on the epidermis to remove the dead skin tissue, helping brighten skin, remove skin texture and improve cellular turnover.

Micro-needling; creates trauma to the skin to trigger the wound healing process which completely resurfaces the top layer of the skin, lightening pigmentation and evens the full skin tone improving texture.

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma); Plasma from your own blood is either injected or micro-needled back into the skin to improve skin appearance and tone having profound anti-ageing results.

Alumier MD Skincare; this brand has a range for pigmentation which will be prescribed to you in your consultation to use at home alongside any in house treatment should you choose to go ahead.

 

For more advice or to arrange a consultation, please contact the practice:

Contact – Kingswood Parks Dental (kingswoodparksclinics.co.uk)

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