How to Treat Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation usually isn't that big of a problem early on in life but as we age, you will start to see "darker" spots on the face, arms and body. Usually this is imost commonly in the form of age or "liver" spots although there are many more factors that can influence this condition. Darker skinned individuals are more likely to develop these pigment spots although although as I said earlier, there are more factors that can influence hyperpigmentation.

Some of the other reasons why this may occur:

• Hormonal changes can be one of the biggest reasons why people will develop dark spots on their skin and unlike the liver or age spots, your hormones play a huge role in their development. They also have a different name, melasma, and the spots tend to be darker and cover a larger radius on the skin. Women who take birth control pills or other types of drugs that manipulate hormone levels are most likely to develop hyperpigmentation. In addition to this, pregnancy can also onset this condition, because the body willl produce excessive melanin, which is responsible for pigment and color of the skin.
• Although not as common, acne and the scars that they create can also start the onset of hyperpigmentation.
• Finally, since your pigment is basically in your genes, heredity acts as a huge influence in how you look. The best example of this is people who are predispositioned to freckles.

The best "treatment' for this condition is preventative treatment. Since pigment and the amount of melanin in your body will ultimately determine pigment and since the sun actually browns or reddens the skin, the best advice is to stay out of the sun as much as possible. Obviously, if you are exposed to the sun, you should look into using a sun screen. Broad spectrum sun screens are the best.

Melanin is what your body produces to protect your skin from its damaging rays. If parts of your skin are already experiencing hyperpigmentation, the result of "tanning" will only mean that your spots will become darker and more apparent.

Another more obvious way to treat hyperpigmentation is through chemical treatments or bleaching creams. Hydroquinone is probably the most used bleaching cream on the market but it has a laundry list of warnings, including possibly having a negative effect on the liver that could cause health problems. That said, hydroquinone does work and is the most widely used bleaching cream in the world, despite the potential health side effects.

The recommended dosage for this type of bleaching cream to treat hyperpigmentation is 2% with a 4% concentrate being the maximum allowance.

Never combine Bleaching Creams together

While some countries with very little regulation will have bleaching creams that combine hydroquinone with other bleaching agents like glucocorticoids and mercury iodine, the risks outweigh the benefits, despite the fact that combining creams will effectively eliminate hyperpigmented spots quickly. For instance, higher incidences of cancer are one of the risks.

Always consult with your dermatologist when in doubt.

If you are concerned about potential side effects from using chemicals, the other way is to use natural remedies to help reduce pigmented spots. While these tend to be less effective, they are much safer than using hydroquinone or other bleaching creams. Some of the more common herbal treatments for hyperpigmentation are:

• Bearberry Extract
• Licorice
• Mulberry Extract

All of the above herbs contain the chemical Alpha Arbutin, which helps to control pigmentation by inhibiting melanin production in the body.

Another more natural bleaching cream is Alpha Arbutin which incidentally is a weed that is commonly found in Canada. It works because it helps inhibit melanin production in the body.