Fading Hyperpigmentation

tips, tricks and product recs

It was actually a little funny to me when I hosted a poll on IG (shameless plug, go follow me there please) asking what I should blog about next and hyperpigmentation won by a landslide lol.  I find this to be a topic that so many people want to know about. Anyone who has skin has suffered from hyperpigmentation as some point out another so let’s take some time to go over the best practices when working on unwanted pigmentation.

Before that…

Let's do a quick review of hyperpigmentation and how you can develop it.

Hyperpigmentation is often characterized as dark marks caused by excess melanin production within the skin. This production is most commonly triggered by UV exposure (sunlight), inflammation of the skin (PIH) or hormonal changes.

When it comes to UV damage and PIH, think of melanin as a bit of a trauma response. Whenever we pick at a pimple (I know we do it lol) or UV rays touch the skin, our bodies go into protect mode, increasing our melanin production to help mitigate any risks to the skin. Sometimes though, this production system goes into overdrive, causing excess melanin in the skin, resulting in what we call dark marks.

Now that we have that all cleared up, let’s get into the fun bits!

Tip#1 – AHA’s

Paula's Choice Mandelic and Lactic Acid exfoliant is both effective and gentle!

When building a routine centered around hyperpigmentation, one of the key ingredients you want to incorporate is an AHA. AHA’s stand for alpha hydroxy acid and they usually include lactic acid, glycolic acid, mandelic acid and malic acid. They range in strength with lactic acid being the gentlest – both exfoliating and hydrating, with glycolic acid being the strongest due to its high ability to permeate into the skin.

AHA's work as exfoliants. They help clear hyperpigmentation as it helps to speed up the shedding of the dead skin cells on the outermost layer of skin. It essentially dissolves away the affected pigmented layers of the skin, revealing the new unaffected layers underneath.

Using an exfoliant is also going to help with product pentration so when you apply your pigmentation fighting ingredients, they will be better absorbed into the skin, allowing the products to work better.

When adding an AHA into your routine, you want to start of small, using it once a week and increasing to 2-3 times a week as needed!

Tip#2 – Tyrosinase Inhibitor

Topicals Faded combines multi tyrosinase inhibitors to fade your pigmentation!

Now this is the star of the show! I probably shoud have made it tip number 1 lol.

Tyrosinase is the main enzyme responsible for the production of melanin in the skin. Without tyrosinase melanin typically can't be produced.

This is exactly why you need a product with a tyrosinase inhibitor in it! It is going to help reduce that over production of melanin in the skin. It won't stop melanin production completely (we kinda need melanin) but it can work to clear the dark spots as well as reduce the formation of new ones. It brightens the skin and really just evens out your skin tone.

Ingredients like tranexamic acid, kojic acid and arbutin are key ingredient to look out for when looking at a product to fade your hyperpigmentation.

When adding an tyrosinase inhibitor product into your routine, start by using it once 2-3 times weekly then increasing to daily use to make the most of the product!

Tip#3 – Sunscreen

The Beauty of Joseon aqua fresh sunscreen has recently become a favourite of mine! You can grab it from yesstyle.

Remember earlier when I talked about how UV rays can trigger hyperpigmentation...well this is exactly where sunscreen comes into play. As well all know sunscreen is used to protect the skin from UV damage and in turn also help to reduce hyperpigmentation in the skin. Existing hyperpigmentation is worsen with sun exposure so not only is sunscreen good for preventing new dark marks but it is also helpful when working to get rid of old ones.

Suncreen should be worn every single day including the winter time. Sun rays don't stop just becuase it's cloudy outside lol. Make sure to reapply every two hours and especially when trying to fade dark marks. Exfoliants and tyrosinase inhibitors can make your skin more susceptible to UV damage so it is super important that you are consistent with your sunscreen use. If you aren't planning to be consistent with your sun protection, don't even bother stressing over dark marks lol.

Bonus points – LED light therapy

 The above points are truly all you need product wise to fade your pigmentation but I wanted to mention a little booster since I've been seeing an uptick in LED red light masks.

Now this step is NOT necessary BUT can be super helpful when clearing dark spots. LED light therapy, in particular red light and green light therapy can be a great addition to the tips above. Red light works to stimulate the energy production within the cells allowing them to work more efficiently. As a result, you can start to see a more even, smooth skin tone. Green light therapy works by targeting the melanocytes within the skin and breaking down large clusters of pigments.

Like I said, this is not necessary but can definitely boost the results you're already seeing. ive you've already invested in a mask, then time to put it to good use!

Honourable mention - Retinol

At this point you're probably like okay girl, time to wrap it up lol! So I'll be quick as I actually want to write a full well deserved post for this superstart ingredient. Retinol is one of those ingriedents that should be in everyone's routine once they hit 25. It boost collagen production, evens texture and skin tone and is overall just that girl. More on her later!

Anywho, I hope this helps you in putting your best skin forward. Feel free to dm me and tell me if any of these tips changed the game for you!

Love,

abeautygworl