What Is Hyperpigmentation? How to Prevent, Cure & Remove Spots

What is hyperpigmentation? What causes hyperpigmentation marks and is there a hyperpigmentation cure? For ways on how to prevent, cure and remove hyperpigmentation spots, you have come to the right place.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?” It would be even unthinkable to ask the mirror or friends this question when you have dark spots from hyperpigmentation. Sometimes you cannot help getting the spots because of your ethnic background especially if you are from African, Asian, Mediterranean or Latin. Nevertheless, you can take certain steps to prevent it.

This article will provide with all the information you need about what is hyperpigmentation and what causes it. You will further be able to learn how to prevent hyperpigmentation and know if you can get a hyperpigmentation cure. Stick around, will you?

What Is Hyperpigmentation? Definition Pigmentation

Everyone has a skin pigment, however, when cells responsible for that color go on over drive, the result becomes hyperpigmentation. As a result, you get dark spots on your skin more so on the face, hands and neck. These leave you with a spotty look if you had even skin tone and fair skin for that matter.

What is hyperpigmentation of face and skin? It is simply the darkening of some spots on your face and skin. These can be caused by various factors, as we will find out below. It is important to differentiate between scars and marks. While scars can be indented, hyperpigmentation marks or spots are flat. Hyperpigmentation removal is therefore different from scar removal.

What is hyperpigmentation? It is the discoloration of your skin. On the other hand, if you have lighter spots on your skin, that is known as hypopigmentation. The darker stains are common, more noticeable and annoying. They leave you looking like you have dark prints on your skin.

What Is Hyperpigmentation Acne?

Acne is the most common cause of hyperpigmentation. When you have breakouts, you will have either scars or dark spots. What is hyperpigmentation acne? It is discoloration on your skin post pimples. They are simply dark spots from pimples.

Pimples after healing leave post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This may or may not go away after sometime. Usually it may take about 24 months for such hyperpigmentation to clear on its own. Otherwise, you may have to use creams to make the marks disappear.

Other Hyperpigmentation Spots Causes

Acne is one of the major causes of hyperpigmentation, but there are other several causes as well. Some of the causes are avoidable or preventable, as you will find out shortly. However, if you do find yourself with hyperpigmentation spots, there is no need to worry, as they are rarely harmful.

The main causes are:

Melasma

These are dark spots acquired during pregnancy. Similarly, you may have dark marks on skin from using contraceptive pills and during the onset of menopause when hormonal changes occur. If you have a thyroid disorder, you are also likely to get spots that are dark on your skin. Usually these spots are the most difficult to treat.

Sun Damage

Come summer we all want to get out and get a tan. However, the effects of the wonderful rays can also leave your skin unsightly with spots. Besides, if your skin is prone to freckles they will automatically come from hiding. Over exposure to the sun leads to also age, sun and liver spots.

Medications

Certain medications such as antibiotics, anti seizure and hormonal treatments can cause you to have dark spots on skin. Similarly, the treatments for cancer also cause darkening on some skin areas.

Skin injuries or inflammation

Burns, cuts, friction and psoriasis among others often responsible for these kind of spots. Acne also falls in this category and inflammation from cosmetic surgery including laser treatments.

Heavy Metals

If you are exposed to some heavy metals in form of jewelry, you may also get hyperpigmentation spots. Therefore, watch your reaction towards certain metals such as gold, mercury, bismuth and silver.

Diseases

Several diseases can trigger dark spots on skin. Therefore, it is important to have all tests done if you never had spots from the above causes. The diseases include:

• Diabetes
• Pertz-Jeghers Syndrome
• Fungal infections
• Cushing disease
• Melanoma
  

  

How to Remove Hyperpigmentation Spots at Home

If you have visited a dermatologist and he or she tells you that there is no need to worry about the darkened skin areas, you can always try removing the spots at home or better still ask for a stronger prescription. Home treatments are cheap and natural. If you are in a hurry, this exclusive guide will help you on how to get rid of hyperpigmentation naturally.

However, how to remove hyperpigmentation spots at home can be a tad slow. Therefore, you will need all the patience in the world. You also have to be consistent with your applications for best improvements and overall success.

How to remove hyperpigmentation spots at home calls for the application of the following home remedies on the affected areas:

• Rose hip oil
• A mixture of curd, papaya pulp, pineapple juice and tamarind paste
• Vinegar diluted with water
• Vitamin E oil added in Aloe vera gel or natural juice
• Red onion slices or juice
• Cucumber juice mixed with lemon juice and honey
• Lemon juice, honey and turmeric powder mixture
  

  

If you are using a paste or juice at home, make sure it stays on the skin for 20 minutes before rinsing off. Furthermore, make certain that you moisturize your skin after the application of these home treatments.

How to Prevent Hyperpigmentation – Tips, Dos and Don’ts

How to prevent hyperpigmentation is as easy as 1, 2, and 3. You have to be committed to ensuring that they do not occur or better still, they do not become more pigmented. It may mean making a few lifestyle changes; however, it is worth it if you want radiant and flawless skin.

This is how to prevent hyperpigmentation with easy dos and don’ts, this way you will never have to research on what is hyperpigmentation:

• Avoid jewelry made of heavy metals
• Wear sunscreen of a strong SPF from 15 and let it be a UVA/UVB protector with Titanium dioxide
• Do not go under the sun when it is the hottest, that is, between 10 am and 4pm, and if you must wear long sleeved tops, carry an umbrella or wear a wide brimmed hat.
• Do exfoliate your skin regularly 2 times a week for oily skin and once for dry skin
• Do not pick at your pimples, scars or any inflammations on skin
• Do not use tanning beds
• If you must have cosmetic surgery including laser, find a professional and board certified surgeon with vast experience.
• Talk to your doctor each time he or she prescribes medications on the possible side effects of hyperpigmentation, how to avoid or treat it.

Hyperpigmentation Cure – What is Hyperpigmentation Treatment?

What is the best hyperpigmentation treatment? This a question asked by many who suffer from this skin disorder. If you are among those people, am sorry to disappoint you because there is no formula that offer hyperpigmentation cure. You have to experiment on several over the counter products, home treatments and probably resolve for prescription medications.

When all these fail, you can then resort to laser hyperpigmentation treatment from a surgeon or dermatologist’s office. However, before you even get there, you can try skin care products with the following ingredients. This with time will bleach the dark spots and exfoliate to remove the melanin cells on your skin. They can also block the enzymes needed by the skin cells to make melanin.

Look for hyperpigmentation cure in products with licorice extract, arbutin, mandelic acid, azelic acid, acorbic acid, tretinoin, kojic acid, bearberry and mulberry among others. Furthermore, ensure that you invest in a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher so that your spots cannot get any darker. Do not expect these products to work overnight, it takes more than a month or even longer to lighten the dark areas on your skin.