Clear skin is a perceived sign of youth and health – therefore, pigmentation can detract from this and be bothersome to those who suffer from it.
Often called “age spots”, they are flat darker blemishes that occur on the skin . They range from light brown to darker brown and are found in areas most exposed to the sun, particularly hands, face shoulders, arms & forehead. They are harmless but can be considered cosmetically “unattractive”. If itchy, irritated, inflamed or there is any red or pink colour around them a GP referral is recommended.
Causes
- Prolonged sun exposure / sun bed use
- Exposure to UVA causes oxidative stress to our skin cells#
- Genetics and skin type can also affect the degree of which you are affected by this.
- Smoking and poor diet may also increase the occurrence
- Hormonal changes including: pregnancy, contraception (see melasma below)
. Our miraculous body produces melanin in a bid to try and heal skin by acting as an antioxidant, whilst simultaneously protecting the skin from further UV light.
Luckly, there are a number of very effective treatments available.
IPL / Illumi facial
Using Intense Pulsed light is a fantastic option for areas of multiple lesions. Energy is passed through a quarts crystal that targets the melanin in the skin. A sensation like the flick of an elastic band might be felt. Over the coming week the pigment will get darker and eventually come to the surface of the skin and flake off. Multiple treatments are likely needed to achieve desired outcomes.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels can vary in intensity from very mild “no peel” peels,( including the Brand NEW no-down-time Pigment Correct peel) to deeper penetrating and high strength prescription only peels. They increase the skin cell turn over and cause shedding of the out layers of the skin. A course of treatments is required eventually revealing youthful clear skin.
Electrolysis
Perfect for larger isolated patches. A small probe about the size of an eye lash will touch the surface of the skin, a slight stinging sensation may be experienced whilst a minute section of the blesmished skin is lifted and the skin colour underneath observed. If healthy pink undamaged and non pigmented skin is revealed treatment will continue until complete removal of the blemish is achieved. However if the pigment continues down into the dermis treatment is aborted as results would be unsuccessful. Following treatment an exact colour match to skin can not be guaranteed.
Home Treatments
Protect against free radical damage from UV exposure with PCA Skin Weightless SPF 45 (skin cancer foundation approved) – this beauty is high factor borad spectrum and disappears beautifully into your skin – meaning you applying your make up is a dream afterwards without that awful white smear. Even better than that it is Zinc oxide based, it is calming and non comdonergic – so will NOT clog your pores and cause break outs.
Reduce oxidative stress and help your skin regenerate with PCA Skin C&E Advance (with Silymarin & Hexyrescorcinol) – this power product not only reverses the damage that has been caused but strengthens your skin. It is the markets leading vitamin C formula.
Dramatically reduce the appearance of stubborn discolouration with the incredible Pigment Pro Gel (my favourite!) & Pigment Bar, ground breaking at home treatments that are effective against UV & hormonally induced pigmentation. They have been a game changer for me to significantly reduce Post Inflammatory Hyper-pigmentation.
Finally The Intensive Brightening Retinol packs a punch increasing the skin cell turn over and using Niacinamide (b3) and hyxyrescorcinol to give you a beautiful youthful even skin tone
You can book a bespoke skin consultation or buy PCA Skin home treatments directly.
Melasma
Melasma causes patches of pigmentation and is known as the pregnancy mask as it frequently appears during pregnancy. The patches are symmetrical at either side of the face (cheeks/ forehead/ nose/ chin) – and can include other areas on the body.
Its not widely known the cause for melasma but we do know that it’s affected by hormones and can in some instances be triggered by using birth control, similarly stress and thyroid disease are also linked. Melasma often appears worse after sun exposure.
Unfortunately Melasma can not be treated by using IPL and having this condition means that most energy treatments are not recommended as it is likely they may make it worse.
Good News, chemical peels such as the no down time pigment correct peel combined with home care pigment pro gel are are showing outstanding results. Electrolysis can be tried and may offer success. The pigment from melasma will return when exposed to the sun so sun hats and spf are an absolute must!