From tans to acne, your skin keeps a visible record of the trauma it faces, which often shows up in the form of hyperpigmentation.
"When addressing hyperpigmentation, it's really important to understand what it actually is and that it is a journey to properly target and correct it," shares Amber Murphy, licensed esthetician at Advanced Skin Care Suite. "Your skin gets its color from pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanocytes produce melanin which gives your skin its unique color. When the melanocytes are damaged, unhealthy or pushed into overdrive, they start to produce excessive melanin in certain areas, causing those areas to darken."
While it might not show up for days or even years afterward, the hyperpigmentation you see now is the result of one of three triggers that causes the excess production of melanin.
hyperpigmentation trigger: UV exposure
UV rays – whether via the sun or trips to the tanning bed – results in a tan, which is a response to injury in the skin.
"A tan is simply a visible, uniform melanin increase activated by sunlight in exposed skin," explains Laura Kania, licensed esthetician at Snips SpaSalon. "Melanin is the skin's natural protective mechanism; a defense against ultraviolet radiation."
Unfortunately, the same sun exposure that darkens the skin simultaneously damages the skin, which ultimately leads to abnormal melanin production. High UV exposure over time will produce unevenly distributed patches of melanin, often called age spots.
"UV radiation has a cumulative effect, and deposits of excess melanin amass over time," adds Kania. "Many age spots that seem to appear out of nowhere have actually been decades in the making."
hyperpigmentation trigger: hormonal imbalance
Hormonal birth control, hormone replacement therapy and pregnancy can cause a surge of hormones that cause uneven melanin production, leading to what's called melasma – or "the mask of pregnancy." Exposure to UV radiation can make it more pronounced.
Melasma can be identified by its presence on both sides of the face in a symmetrical pattern. Pregnancy is the main culprit, but birth control pills have been known to cause it as well. Like all estheticians, Kania always recommends consulting your doctor about any major skin changes.
hyperpigmentation trigger: injury
Waxing, acne, insect bites and razor bumps can cause inflammation and excess pigmentation at the site of irritation. This is often called Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (or PIH). UV exposure can make it appear even darker, and PIH occurs in roughly 65% of African Americans (1).
A common instance of PIH is the discolored spot that remains after a pimple, insect bite or other skin injury has otherwise mended. Even after the inflammation that initially triggered the excess melanin production is long gone, the hyperpigmentation persists, fading very slowly.
Kania also warns that some oral antibiotics prescribed for acne actually render the skin more susceptible to hyperpigmentation due to an increased risk of excess UV exposure, "so those with acne need to be especially careful of PIH."
Teresa Stenzel
Hi Cindy,nnFor LightPlex MegaWatt Skin Brightener: Apply evenly to entire face every morning and night. Never skip the SPF – wear a Bioelements broad spectrum sunscreen daily. For LightPlex GigaWatt Dark Spot Corrector: Apply directly to dark spots and gently massage every morning and night. Never skip the SPF – wear a Bioelements broad spectrum sunscreen daily.