How to Prevent and Treat Hyperpigmentation
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As a former Florida girl, I live for New York City summers. I love the heat, the vibes, and the fact that I can easily score a table at my favorite restaurants without a reservation. What I don’t love? The brutally humid, sauna-like subway station platforms, the foul rotting sidewalk garbage stench that fills the air once temps hit 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and… sun damage in the form of hyperpigmentation.
"Hyperpigmentation is caused by overproduction and irregular distribution of melanin in the skin," Nancy Samolitis, MD, a dermatologist previously told Allure. For me, hyperpigmentation, a broad term for discoloration on the skin, plagues me in the form of melasma, which appears in the form of brown patches as opposed to sporadic dark spots. The skin condition is more common in women and is typically due to hormones. Fun!
Even more fun, melasma can be triggered by the sun, so I can’t even enjoy long walks with my dog without fear of flare-ups popping up on my forehead and temples days later.
So, how can you prevent hyperpigmentation, in all its forms?
Limit your time in the sun.
"There is no question that the sun stimulates more melanin production, so no [hyperpigmentation] treatment will be effective unless the sun is taken out of the equation," Dr. Samolitis said. Sure, posting up in my house all day, every day is a surefire way of preventing sun damage, but it’s also completely unrealistic and, frankly, a little depressing. (I can say that because I’m currently on antidepressants for said depression!) So instead I try to limit my time outside during the peak hours of the day and wear copious amounts of sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses when I am in the sun.
Wear sunscreen.
Let’s be real: I wear sunscreen even when I’m inside my apartment, so this rule is an obvious one for me. But for everyone else, you should be wearing sunscreen daily (regardless of the weather or season) with formulas of SPF 30 or higher. Aim for the two-finger rule (squirt a line of sunscreen down two fingers and apply) and re-up every few hours. If you’re a fan of chemical sunscreens like I am, try one of my current favorites: KraveBeauty Beet the Sun SPF 40 or Innisfree Daily UV Defense SPF 36 (both of which are Best of Beauty winners).
Add a vitamin C serum to your routine.
Everyone could use a little extra antioxidants in their lives, and vitamin C serum is just the thing. It’s "a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals," dermatologist Patricia Wexler, MD, previously told Allure. "Because of its antioxidant properties, vitamin C aids in your skin's natural regeneration process, which helps your body repair damaged skin cells." Adding the ingredient to your regimen will help boost collagen production and help prevent the formation of dark spots.
How to treat hyperpigmentation:
Add a targeted treatment to your routine.
Along with vitamin C, adding retinol or a serum formulated with either of these two ingredients—kojic acid or tranexamic acid—will help diminish the appearance of dark spots over time.
Book an in-office procedure.
For melasma, I’ve found that annual PicoSure laser treatments from my dermatologist help reduce the appearance of my patchy dark spots. The procedures don’t completely eliminate the discoloration, but they minimize it for now, as long as I stay out of the sun. Because of that, I tend to book these types of treatments in the winter.
Reader Question
How to start Retin A and what to do if you have peeling: Stop using if peeling and wait for it to clear up or power through and keep using?
— asks Anonymous Allure Reader
Start slow. Try incorporating retinol into your routine two or three times a week. If you experience peeling or dryness, use the sandwich technique: Slather on a basic moisturizing cream or serum before your retinol treatment, then lock it all in with another layer of the moisturizer afterward.
Have a burning skin-care question? Send one in.
Editor's Pick
BEST DARK SPOT PREVENTER: SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic
This potent serum sometimes gets criticized for its undesirable scent (cough hotdog water), but it’s a boon for brightening skin and preventing dark spots over time.
Quick Tip
Vitamin C serums can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so don't just layer sunscreen over it. Make sure to reapply every two hours at a minimum, but more often if sweating or immersed in water—even if the product claims to be water-resistant. 👀
Book Club
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
★★★★★
Two college acquaintances turned best friends host an annual summer vacation filled with witty banter, new adventures, and unspoken love. This seriously cute friends-to-lovers story makes for the perfect beach subway read.
Originally Appeared on Allure
