Have you ever discovered a new patch of darker skin on your body and wondered “how did that get there?!” It’s likely a bit of hyperpigmentation! In this blog, we’re going to answer a few questions about hyperpigmentation, like what causes hyperpigmentation and what is the most common type of hyperpigmentation. We’ll also take a look at how to treat hyperpigmentation. Let’s dive right in and get you some answers.

What Causes Hyperpigmentation?

Hyperpigmentation is a common skin condition that causes patches of skin to become darker than the surrounding skin. It occurs when the skin produces excess melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Hyperpigmentation can affect any skin type, but it is more common in people with darker skin tones.

What Are The Types of Hyperpigmentation?

Melasma

Melasma looks like darkened patches of skin (a shade or two) that cover a pretty large or long area. We aren’t exactly sure what causes melasma yet, but it’s believed that it’s caused by hormones and hormonal changes – like what women experience during pregnancy. Common areas to have melasma appear are the face and the stomach (you might be familiar with the linea nigra if you’ve ever been pregnant).

Melasma can’t be prevented, but it will usually go away after the source of the hormone surge subsides. For example, the vast majority of pregnant women find that their melasma disappears in the first year after their baby is born.

Sunspots

These little spots of darker skin are also called solar lentigines and liver spots – they’re often irregular in shape, but mostly round. If you’re older than 30 and have been out in the sun during your life, you probably have some of these – they’re a natural response to the sun’s rays and are no reason for concern. Sunspots are the most common type of hyperpigmentation and generally appear on the arms, hands, and face.

Fun Fact: According to some research, exposure to pollution will cause sunspots to appear at a quicker rate. Using an anti-pollution cleanser can help neutralize the free radical activity that causes this!

You can prevent sunspots by wearing enough sunscreen (especially mineral facial sunscreen), reapplying when necessary, and wearing protective clothing to keep your skin from being exposed in the first place.

Post-Inflammatory

This type of hyperpigmentation is due to stress on the skin from injuries like acne spots, surgical scars, and other traumatic injury to the skin – burns, for example. You can try to prevent hyperpigmentation from inflammatory injuries by keeping the wounds clean and dry, then beginning a scar healing treatment as soon as possible. However, this kind of hyperpigmentation is largely unavoidable.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can be treated with creams (like our Scar Esthetique Scar Cream). But, let’s take a more detailed look at how to treat hyperpigmentation.

Can Hyperpigmentation Be Treated?

Generally speaking, hyperpigmentation can be treated, to some extent. Since this condition is caused by excess melanin in the skin, there’s only so much that can be done to smooth out the appearance of the darkened skin. You’ll find topical creams, lotions, and chemical peels that will help “bleach” the skin to even out areas of hyperpigmentation.

In recent studies, we’ve also seen that retinoids can help even out hyperpigmentation. So, having a good skincare routine that includes products like our Retinoid Face Serum and Retinoid Eye Cream can help you reduce facial hyperpigmentation, too.

There are also laser and microdermabrasion treatment methods that tend to work well, but these are procedures that need to be performed in an office and can be pricey.

Rejuvaskin: Helping You Prevent & Treat Hyperpigmentation

Here at Rejuvaskin, we have several skincare products that can help you prevent hyperpigmentation and reverse it. From our mineral facial sunscreen to our Scar Esthetique Scar Cream, you can find tons of products to help keep your skin happy and healthy. Browse our full collection of products today to find your new skincare solution.