Pigmentation

When treating pigmentation, it is most important to identify the type of pigmentation correctly to offer a suitable treatment to deliver a good treatment outcomes.  In a nutshell,  skin pigmentation disorders cause changes of your skin colour. The cells (melanocytes) in your skin that make Melanin is responsible for your skin’s colour. People with darker skin tones naturally produce more melanin, therefore their skin is darker. We like to prepare our clients  skin with darker Fitzpatrick with a tyrosinase inhibitor  prior to some treatments. Tyrosinase Inhibitors reduce the enzyme Tyrosinase from over stimulating the skin so there is no overproduction of pigment in the skin. Tyrosinase Inhibitors can help  correct hyperpigmentation and reduce it from over producing melanin.

What is skin tone?

Skin pigment is primarily controlled by melanocytes, a type of cell that is responsible for melanin production (skin pigment). Lighter skin individuals typically have a more reddish/bluish hue to their skin due to the lack of pigment hiding their underlying blood vessels and capillaries. This is also why when blood vessels dilate, maybe from exercise or embarrassment, light skinned people develop a subtle (or not so subtle) blush.

The skin has three main layers. From top to bottom: the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. The epidermis is our waterproof barrier and contains the cells for skin tone. The dermis lies beneath and contains hair follicles, sweat glands, and connective tissue. The hypodermis is the deepest layer, and contains fat and connective tissue.

What causes skin tone to become uneven?

Uneven skin tone is generally caused by disproportionate amounts of melanin (skin pigment) although abnormal vasculature can darken skin. The underlying cause of uneven skin tone can be genetic, or tone discrepancies can develop over time due to environmental exposures (like sunlight) or injury. When there is excess melanin skin becomes hyperpigmented (darker), and if there is not enough melanin skin is hypopigmented (lighter).

What are the main concerns related to uneven skin tone?

Uneven skin tone can be classified in multiple ways depending on the underlying cause. A general overview is outlined below:

• Broken Capillaries – capillaries are the tiniest blood vessels in your body. They are where arteries carrying oxygenated blood and veins carrying away deoxygenated blood pool. Little breaks and leakages in this pooling area can create the appearance of broken blood vessels at the skin surface.
• Freckles – freckles are clusters of hyperpigmented (darker) areas of skin. They can be genetic or develop with sun exposure. They are more noticeable in lighter skinned people.
• Liver Spots (Age Spots or Sun Spots) – these are a type of lentigo similar to freckles. They usually appear on skin that has spent years soaking up the sun (hands, face, shoulders, upper chest). They are more common in fair skinned, light haired, and light eyed individuals.
• Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation – this is a hyper melanosis (excessive melanin or skin pigment) reaction to a previous skin injury that more commonly occurs in people with darker skin tones.

Who may wish to seek treatment for uneven skin tone?

Your skin is a protective wrap around your entire body, and it is the first line of defence against rain, wind, sunlight, injury, germs, and any number of things that bombard us throughout the day. It’s not really that surprising then that the skin accumulates some damage over time. Men and women of any age may experience undesirable skin tone due to genetics or damage, and, therefore, wish to seek treatment for uneven skin tone.