Astute Clinic

Ways to Identify and Treat Hyperpigmentation

Hate that dark spot on your skin? Chances are you are part of the ever-growing popularity of people with unwanted dark spots on your skin. Dark spot or also known as hyperpigmentation occurs due to overproduction of melanin in the skin by melanocytes, which can be triggered by a lot of things such as exposure to the sun, skin inflammation and hormones.

One misconception about hyperpigmentation is that the harder you scrub or more potent the product, the quicker it will fade. Being too aggressive to your skin will further irritate the skin, leading to getting even darker spots and a longer healing time! With that said, keep reading to learn about the different types and causes of hyperpigmentation and the treatments that Astute Clinic recommends!

Types of hyperpigmentation

Melasma

Melasma causes large brown and grey-brown patches to appear on the forehead, cheeks, upper lip, bridges of nose and chin. This condition is considered harmless and most common among women, especially during or post-pregnancy. It is caused by increased melanin production, which is triggered by changes in hormone levels and the sun. People with darker skin tones are more likely to develop melasma, as they have more melanocytes (the colour-making cells) than people with lighter skin.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation occurs when a skin injury heals and leaves a flat area of discolouration behind, it is mainly triggered by the way skin regenerates after inflammation. Furthermore, with the wrong hands of cosmetic procedures such as dermabrasion, laser treatments and chemical peels, the errors from poor, untrained medical aesthetic clinics may cause post-inflammatory which resulted in a long term skin issue.

Age spots

Age spots, also known as sunspots, appear as small, flat and darkened patches of skin that are light brown to black. Individuals who are over the age of 40 often start to have age spots. Triggered by over-exposure to the sun, increased melanin production causes dark spots to appear on the skin. Age spots appear mainly on the face, neck, hands and arms. Thus, UV protection is often encouraged from an early age to prevent sun damage and age spots.

Freckles

Freckles are small light brown spots that occur in clusters across your skin. These little specks on your skin are usually harmless and most commonly start to appear in children and teens. Freckles can clue you in how your skin has reacted to sun exposure, which is triggered due to melanin pigment production. In other words, freckles are usually triggered by the sun and vary depending on the type and amount of melanin levels in your skin. People with blonde or red hair and fair skin are prone to getting more freckles. 

Alright, So How Can We Prevent Hyperpigmentation?

Now you may have noticed; the term sun exposure has been mentioned in every type of hyperpigmentation. Even though there are other factors such as genetics, hormonal imbalance, and inflammation, sun exposure is still the number one cause of hyperpigmentation. 

As such, sun protection is the most crucial step to prevent hyperpigmentation. Minimising sun exposure and trying to avoid direct sunlight (especially during the peak hours of 10 am to 2 pm) would be recommended. 

Moreover, whether you are outdoor or indoor, be sure to give your skin daily sun protection with a broad-spectrum sunscreen that not only offers an effective UVA and UVB protection (SPF30 or above) but is also formulated for your skin type to shield against UV damage. 

Astute Milk Sunscreen with SPF 30 PA+++ contains Vitamin E and chamomile extract, which offer an additional soothing effect especially suitable for oily and acne-prone skin. In contrast, Astute Tinted Sunscreen with SPF 50 PA+++ is formulated in such a way that not only glides on smoothly with a non-tacky texture; it also comes with a universal tint that evens out skin tones and gives a luminous glow.

How Can I Treat Hyperpigmentation?

Depending on the types of hyperpigmentation and severity of the skin issues, our medical aesthetic doctors always recommend different treatments that suit best your needs. For instance, various laser treatments are using different technology available in Astute Clinic for effective pigmentation removal.

Astute Skin Workout laser treatment uses Q-switched Nd: YAG laser, an extremely versatile machine targeting a specific pigment in the skin. The laser beams in nanosecond pulses break down excess pigmentation, which your body’s immune system will eventually remove. Each treatment only requires 20 minutes of duration with minimal to no downtime, which means you may return to work or play immediately after. 

Astute Flawless Skin laser treatment uses Sylfirm, which is popularly known for its ability to stimulate healing of the basement membrane of the dermis (deepest part of the skin). It is an effective laser treatment for melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Although it involves micro-needling, it is minimally invasive and has no downtime. 

In contrast, Astute Shining Bright laser treatment uses Dual Yellow laser, which uniquely produces two wavelengths penetrating the dermis treating severe pigmentation such as melasma. It also works by curbing the production of melanin at the source, lowering the recurrence rate. Similarly, it is a gentle and painless procedure with no downtime, even safe for sensitive skin.

Treatment with high-tech lasers is an effective way to minimise the appearance of these dark spots and patches. However, using the wrong type of laser can have the opposite effect – exciting melanocytes and causing hyperpigmentation. That is why it is vital to seek experienced professional medical aesthetic doctors who are certified and well trained to perform these procedures.

Please don’t be embarrassed or afraid to reach out to us with your skin concern. Astute Clinic offers both offline and online consultation with our medical aesthetic doctors on an appointment basis. Be rest assured that our experienced doctors, Dr. Jason and Dr. Karen, will provide the best professional client care that fosters an atmosphere of trust throughout your journey, offering the best solutions for you.