Have you ever noticed how in the summertime, your freckles tend to deepen? That’s because freckles are essentially pigmentation – concentrated little spots of melanin, the protein in your skin that gives it its colour. Now, while natural freckles are all too charming, suddenly developing a random dark spot on your once flawless-looking forehead or cheek isn’t particularly fun. This is what’s known as hyperpigmentation.
According to Dr Noufal Raboobee, a Durban-based dermatologist, when skin cells become unhealthy and damaged, “it affects the production of melanin and pigmentation occurs, which results in the dark uneven patches commonly found on the forehead, upper cheeks and chin”. This can affect people at any age, regardless of your skin colour. However, women with darker skin tones tend to be more prone to pigmentation than others.
So, what am I doing wrong?
There are number of reasons why skin pigmentation can occur, but the most common are excessive sun exposure, birth control pills (oestrogen tends to cause an increase in melanin), hormonal changes like pregnancy or menopause and certain medications. Even a trauma to the skin can result in something called “post-inflammatory pigmentation”, a medical term used to describe any skin discoloration that follows an inflammatory wound like an infected cut or burn. (As it turns out, inflamed or swollen skin can stimulate melanin production too!)
Another form of hyperpigmentation is melasma, often referred to as the “mask of pregnancy”. This occurs in roughly 16 percent of pregnant women due to all the excess oestrogen flowing through their body. The good news, however, is that once you give birth and your hormones settle down, it tends to go away by itself. If, however, it doesn’t, or you want to seek treatment while pregnant, there are many over-the-counter options that are perfectly safe to use while pregnant. Be sure to speak to your Clicks pharmacist about the best products for you.
If you’re breastfeeding though, it’s always best to first discuss your plan of action with your doctor.
Spot stoppers
Lotions and potions: According to Paula Begoun, author of Don’t go to the Cosmetics Counter without Me, hydroquinone cream is the “most effective” topical skin lightening ingredient you can get. However, due to its potency, if it’s used incorrectly or abused, you could end up doing serious damage to your skin. That’s why it’s only available via prescription from your doctor.
However, there are many natural skin lightening ingredients that are available in over the counter creams that are, interestingly, all derivatives of hydroquinone. The most popular are bearberry, mulberry, and cranberry extract. They all contain arbutin – an ingredient that can assist in inhibiting the production of melanin.
Another natural melanin inhibiting ingredient to look out for includes azelaic acid. According to Begoun, if used in concentrations of 15 to 20 percent, it can be just as effective as hydroquinone, but “with a decreased risk of irritation”.
Kojic acid is also helpful, but it’s a difficult ingredient to find due to its “instability” – it loses its potency when exposed to sunlight or air. You could also try licorice extract and niacinamide (vitamin B3). The latter can be found in both Ponds and Olay lightening products. You can also try Lumecin (a skincare treatment exclusive to Clicks) which helps diffuse and fade the appearance of dark spots and discolouration caused by hyperpigmentation.
The big guns
Want to literally zap that spot? The fastest, most effective “in chair” option to go for is laser treatment. Dr Jeanne Louw, a Cape Town-based dermatologist at the Tygervalley Skin Laser Centre, says that all melanomas (regardless of how big or small or the skin type they’re on) absorb light that’s a certain wavelength. “You can treat them with any laser, provided it emits that specific wavelength.”
According to Dr Louw, your degree of pigmentation will determine exactly how many treatments you need, but most patients require “between one and three sessions”.