Excessive skin pigmentation is caused by an abnormal production and deposition of the pigment melanin by melanocytes. Production of melanin depends on UV or sun exposure. It is a natural protective feature of the skin. Hyper pigmentation are parts that are darker than the other parts of the skin, due to excess production and deposition of melanin.
What leads to excessive skin pigmentation?
If you have excessive skin pigmentation in Adelaide or hyperpigmentation, it is generally due to an excessive reaction of the melanin-protective system. This causes excessive production and clustering of melanin and the appearance of pigmentation in the skin in the form of brown or darker spots.
Causes of skin pigmentation problems are;
• UV radiation – in most cases, specifically in regions that have high levels of UV radiation like Australia, skin pigmentation issues can be caused by too much UV or sun exposure.
• Hormonal – as seen in chloasma or melasma is a kind of pigmentation in Adelaide that you can suffer which is generally caused by pregnancy or the pill.
• Trauma to the skin – this can be due to physical trauma to the skin, laser treatments, chemical peels, or acne. This is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
• Birthmarks and acquired pigmentation – skin pigmentation can be there at birth (birthmarks), or appear during childhood, or adulthood. Examples of these are; cafe au lait spots, congenital melanocytic naevus, naevus of ota, hori’s macules, and spilus naevus.
• Glycolic Acid Peels
Pigmentation in Adelaide can be treated with TCA chemical peels, Salicylic acid and glycolic acid are generally suggested to banish discolouration. Chemical peels are effective at speeding up results and getting rid of deeper pigment. Their potency can be altered to suit the kind and depth of pigment. However, not each skin colour is appropriate for a peel, and if you have got a history of scarring, you might want to find another choice.
There are many light, medium and deep chemical peels available for pigmentation in Adelaide, all of which involve the application of a chemical solution to the skin that will react at different depths, to peel away top layers of dead skin cells. Peels can be effective with evening out skin complexion and fading out dark areas, but skin peels in Adelaide should be done in the right way and without the risk of making the dark regions worse.
This is very true for deep peels, which pose greater risks and need longer time for recovery. That’s why it’s required to seek care for pigmentation in Adelaide from an experienced practitioner a board-certified dermatologist. The preparation, depth of the peel, and even aftercare are essential and must only be determined by an expert provider, as they know exactly how to avoid any complications.
• IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)
One of the types of skin treatments in Adelaide is IPL which is maybe the best procedure available. Also called photo rejuvenation, IPL is done at either doctor’s clinics or medical spas. IPL treats your skin with quick strong flashes of light. This light energy pierces deeply into the skin to treat pigmentation in Adelaide, disintegrating the pigment into very small particles. These particles can go up to the surface of your skin, appearing on the skin as scabs that will vanish in 7-10 days. The rest of the particles will get expelled by the body’s lymphatic system.
A favourite choice of a dermatologist in Adelaide for treating sun-induced pigmentation is IPL. This involves using light-based energy which is pulsed onto the skin while targeting blood vessels at the same time. The light looks for the pigmentation in the skin to take it up and out to treat pigmentation in Adelaide. You can expect the treated areas to become dark and flake away in a few days. Sometimes an IPL treatment is done after two laser sessions to properly clean up the skin. IPL treatment is only suitable for removing mild pigmentation in the skin, freckles and lighter spots. It is very effective for treating freckles and brown marks that appear on your face and neck.
• Micro dermabrasion
Micro dermabrasion is not a chemical procedure and does not involve the destruction of skin tissues. It surely enhances the general appearance of skin and works well for milder kinds of hyperpigmentation. After a chemical peel or professional procedure like Micro dermabrasion or IPL, the skin is a lot more sensitive to the sunlight so be careful and protect your skin from pigmentation in Adelaide.
During the procedure of micro dermabrasion, the topmost layer of the skin is lightly removed to treat darkness, sunspots and other kinds of minimal and superficial pigmentation. There are a few versions of micro dermabrasion, that give a second step where precise anti-pigment components are permeated into the skin to brighten it further.
We all know that the sun has a very big role to play in either causing hyperpigmentation or worsening an existing problem. The important thing is to stay out of the sun and if you need to be in it, always apply sunscreen to prevent pigmentation in Adelaide.
• Fractional Laser Resurfacing
The most intense choice available is fractional laser resurfacing. The treatment work wonders at getting rid of very stubborn discolouration. Lasers create very safe and controlled micro-injuries in the skin to encourage the skin’s natural process of healing. As a result, pigmentation is reduced as fresh, new skin comes up to the surface.
Laser skin resurfacing which involves using a full field ablative laser and fractional resurfacing which involves using micro-ablative can be utilised to cure skin pigmentation. Ablative lasers lead to a uniform wound in the skin that gets rid of layers of skin, while fractional lasers make tiny holes in the layers of the skin, leading to the skin to connect the dots to heal pigmentation in Adelaide.
One has to be careful with the utilization of lasers for dark-skinned types and in patients who have a risk of hyper pigmentation after trauma. Many devices are available now that target the melanin more superficially, with lowered risk of hyper pigmentation. All fractional laser procedures can lightly help to fade out pigmentation in a safe way in dark skin types.
It is essential to know that several treatment sessions are often required and that once the pigmentation has reduced, one should continue to apply protective sunscreen in order to keep the skin clear. The most satisfactory results happen when patients ‘prime’ the skin by utilising hydroquinone and retinoic acid for many weeks before their treatment session to remove pigmentation in Adelaide, as it helps to stabilize the melanocytes.