Wouldn’t it be amazing to have skin so even that you didn’t need foundation or cover up? It seems like a dream rather than reality. Oh, to never see another dark spot!
Skin is kind of like a tell-all novel of every choice or circumstance in our lives. Melasma, age spots, hyperpigmentation – you name it. Life happens, and, if you’re out there living it, the sun has probably been doing its thing (damage!), inflammation has occurred and left behind evidence, acne has appeared on occasion or frequently (go away and never come back already!) and left its mark as well.
While we don’t want to eliminate our history, we CAN remove the evidence of it – on our skin at least! We can’t help you with those unfortunate social media posts that live on in infamy…
Hyperpigmentation
No matter your skin tone or type, we are all susceptible to hyperpigmentation. While it’s quite common, it doesn’t make it welcome.
But where does it come from? It helps to go to the source of the problem in order to prevent further damage, right?
Melasma and age spots (sometimes also called sun spots) are likely to occur in areas with more sun exposure such as the face, arms and legs. Other types of hyperpigmentation are caused by genetics, hormonal fluctuations, an injury such as a cut or burn, chronic skin inflammation, acne, and lupus.
While these are not all preventable, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce the opportunity for skin damage or ‘evidence.’
- Avoid unprotected sun exposure. Sunscreen is your friend, and, even in the Hawaii heat or relaxing on the beach, clothing that covers and shade are a key tool in your skin protecting arsenal.
- Once an injury has occurred, avoid messing with it. Whether a cut, burn or acne, the more you pick, scratch or mess with the affected area, the more likely you are to see hyperpigmentation or scarring once it has fully healed.
- Don’t wait to seek medical or naturopathic help when hormonal imbalances or unusual health conditions begin to occur. The earlier you can correct hormonal issues, the better, as they tend to compound on themselves.
Correction
While an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” not everything can be prevented. And who wants to spend hours in front of the mirror camouflaging with make-up when we can be out there living our best life?
The best plan with hyperpigmentation is early intervention. If you leave it, pigmentation can go deeper into the skin and be more challenging to treat.
If you are ready to have even skin, your first step is talking to a qualified esthetician like Maggie Liu of Pure Skin by Maggie. A skin evaluation can help identify the types of pigmentation you are dealing with in order to assess the best treatment options for your skin.
One of the most powerful whitening options we have available in our Honolulu spa is the Picosecond Whitening Treatment. This laser treatment sends extremely short pulses of light energy at specific wavelengths into the skin, allowing for a deeper and more effective penetration than any cream or lotion could hope to achieve. The skin pigments absorb this energy which shatters the pigments particles into micro-fragments. From there, the body’s natural elimination systems come into play to carry these fragments away, leaving behind clearer, more even skin.
Some traditional laser treatments rely on heat to burn away and destroy the skin or pigments. This treatment, based on light energy, gently disrupts the particles responsible for various pigment conditions. Most clients experience no more than a few hours of mild redness and minor swelling.
The Picosecond Whitening Treatment is an ideal treatment whether you are concerned with pigmentation on face, hands, underarms, inside of legs, or any other body part. While we do not recommend this treatment during pregnancy, lingering melasma or chloasma after baby’s birth can be treated and eliminated.
If you’re in the Honolulu area, contact us to schedule your free consultation and let’s see if the Picosecond Whitening Treatment is the solution for your hyperpigmentation woes!
