Skin Pigmentation – Few Important Facts You Should Know

Flawless skin which a woman enjoys in her youth starts to take a dark and dull turn with age. Some would like to call it discoloration while many would name it as pigmentation. Whatever the reason is, it becomes really difficult to get back that smooth and even tone once skin problem strikes. What is even more worrying is that no one knows when and why the skin starts behaving strangely. You just can’t blame it on age because there are so many young women who visit aesthetic medical practitioners with dark spots, uneven tones and other related skin complaints.

When the problem is related to skin, women tend to get nervous and quite naturally so. Discussed below are few important facts related to skin pigmentation, knowing which might help mitigate your skin related worries.

• Skin pigmentation is a natural body process which can happen due to several reasons. Among all the factors that cause skin discoloration, it is over exposure to sun ray which does the maximum damage. Of the two types of sun rays, UVA is the main culprit which turns your skin darker.
• With advanced age, skin starts losing its natural even tone.
• Any sort of irritation can result in skin pigmentation too. Acne prone skin often develops dark patches as you scratch that area. Then blame it on tiny mosquito bites too, which irritates the skin, resulting in a reddish skin hue.
• You just can’t leave home without spraying your favorite perfume? Think again because body sprays can also turn your skin a shade darker. Perfumes tend to make the skin more sensitive to sun rays thereby promoting discoloration.
• If you live or work in an area which is extremely polluted then that would start affecting your skin too. Excessive pollution results in greater melanin production, as your skin needs to release antioxidants to face this polluted condition.

Now that you know why your skin is developing dark patches, the next rational step is to look for an effective and permanent cure. The very first measure you need to adopt is shift to a suitable sunscreen. Take a close look at the sunscreen you are using now. An SPF label on the cream means it offers protection against UVB whereas the PA label guarantees protection against UVA. So quite naturally you need to pick up sunscreen cream/lotions with PA++ or PA+++ label, depending on sun exposure.

Any Vitamin E enriched topical cream or lotion offers adequate cover against pigmentation. You can either consume it in pill form or apply the cream in the affected area.

If you prefer natural ingredients over artificial ones, then there are many safe home-made remedies which help reduce dark spots and turn your skin brighter. Licorice root extract, lactic acid, Kojic acid, Vitamin B3 and lemon juice are few such natural ingredients which really help lighten dark skin tones.

Here is the final piece of advice for those who are suffering from dark patches and skin discoloration since long. Don’t allow the skin problem to linger for long. Consult an expert aesthetic medicine practitioner before trying out any specific remedy.