Pigmented spots are an accumulation of melanin pigment, which is responsible for skin color and hair. Enhanced local production of melanin, provoked by some external or internal factor, leads to point darkening of the skin or hyperpigmentation in more scientific terms. Contrary to stereotypes, this phenomenon is not tied to age-related changes in the skin or its color type. Pigmented spots can appear at any age, with any skin color and sensitivity. Instaskincare will share with you how to get rid of it. To understand what to do with pigmentation on the face, you need to know what type of manifestation it belongs to. Here are the most common types of age spots:
- Birthmarks (nevi): darker areas of the skin that have an arbitrary shape and location. They can appear at any age, including infancy, and tend to get worse in adulthood. Removal of these age spots on the face is possible only with the help of a beautician.
- Freckles (ephelides): tiny rounded specks with a diameter of 2-2 mm, which appear under the active influence of the sun and can disappear by themselves in the winter season. The most common places of manifestation: nose and cheeks, neck, shoulders, décolleté.
- Sunspots (lentigo): they are more significant than freckles, more persistent, and not disappearing even in winter, with oval areas of pigmentation with a diameter of up to 20 mm. They are usually associated with age-related pigmentation, as they are more often manifested on mature skin and intensify with age. Removal of such age spots on the face, as a rule, requires the use of professional products.
- Melasma (chloasma): Large age spots, the appearance of which is usually associated with hormonal changes in the body (pregnancy, lactation, certain diseases, and medication). If the changes are temporary, then the decrease in pigmentation, as a rule, occurs on its own, as the hormonal background stabilizes.
Reasons of Hyperpigmentation
UV Rays
Ultraviolet is undoubtedly one of the main culprits for the appearance of age spots. It not only aggressively affects the skin by itself but can also become a trigger for the manifestation of genetically or hormonally inherent problems.
When exposed to the skin (especially unprotected ones), ultraviolet rays provoke a powerful protective reaction of the skin. It manifests itself in the form of sunburn and increased activity of melanocytes, the cells responsible for melatonin production. The actively produced melatonin begins to be deposited unevenly in various areas of the skin, forming those very dark spots and areas of hyperpigmentation.
Hormonal Disorders
As we’ve discussed, hormonal changes in the body can also cause hyperpigmentation. As a rule, cleansing the face from such age spots occurs independently – however, this process may require consultation with an endocrinologist or dermatologist.
Skin Injury
I can cause hyperpigmentation and mechanical damage to the skin – including squeezing out inflammation, micro-cuts, and chemical burns. And the point is not only in the increased vulnerability of damaged skin but also in the fact that the process of active regeneration also triggers the increased production of melanin. Therefore, removing such age spots will most likely require the use of specialized products.
How to Get Rid of the Hyperpigmentation
- herbs and plants: parsley, chamomile, celandine, licorice, and others;
- products: sour cream, cottage cheese, lemon and lemon juice, honey, raw eggs;
- pharmaceutical preparations: retinol serum, hydrogen peroxide, acetylsalicylic acid, boric alcohol, and much more.
Suppose the first two groups of ingredients have no proven effectiveness (especially with pigmentation a little more severe than mild freckles). In that case, the third group may be dangerous to health. Careless use, illiterate proportions, or the wrong combination of such ingredients can provoke large-scale chemical burns, severe skin damage, and visually noticeable marks and inflammation.
