Pigmentation!

Written By Samantha Davidson

As the cooler weather starts, lots of people take the opportunity to tackle pigmentation. At Gold Coast Dermatology Clinic, this is the time of year we start talking to patients about prepping their skin for any treatment they wish to embark on. 

To treat pigmentation, it is important to have a good understanding of the underlying causes...of which there are many

  • Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation

    • common causes on the face include acne, rashes, burns and sometimes even side effects of previous treatments such as chemical peels

  • Melasma

    • hormonal pigmentation 15 x more common in females, triggered by estrogen (pregnancy, OCP, HRT) and UV light

  • Solar damage 

    • Sun exposure can cause regular distribution of melanin (tanning) and irregular pigment distribution - solar lentigo, pigmented skin cancers 

  • Freckling - even spotty pigmentation produced by exposure to the sun 

  • Seborrheic keratosis

    • Darkened ‘age appts’ or barnacles

  • Genetic pigmentation - related to ethnicity and Fitzpatrick skin type (1 - 6)

Once the type of pigmentation and your skin type have been identified, a treatment plan targeting these causes can be formulated. 

Prevention

  • sun protective behaviours and clothing

  • SPF - suncream

  • treating underlying triggers eg. control acne, optimise eczema management, stop hormonal preparations and any other contributing medication if possible

Skin Care

  • incorporate anti-oxidants and lightening agents (or tyrosinase inhibitors) into your skin care regime

  • minimise harsh exfoliants and irritants

Treatments

  • prescription topical and oral medication

  • chemical peels - superficial - medium depth

  • lasers and lights

What are some key ingredients in skin care that you can incorporate prior to seeking treatment?


Broad spectrum SPF 

  • look for UVA and UVB protection

  • SPF 30 or higher

Tyrosinase inhibitors - Tyrosinase is an enzyme in melanocytes (pigment cells) that converts Tyrosine --> Melanin (pigment); by inhibiting it, you can decrease the production of new pigment and fade old pigment

  • Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

  • Kojic acid

  • Arbutin

  • Liquorice extract

  • Vitamin C

  • Vitamin A

  • Ferulic Acid

  • Resorcinol

You don't need all of these in your skin care regime, but a product with a select few will go a long way in helping to minimise pigmentation. Essentially laying the ground work and preparing your skin for the introduction of any physical treatments or prescription products. 

If you need help planning a skin care routine, or you have this in place but want advice on further treatments, we would love to see you for a consults. Our registered nurses and dermal clinicians and are very experienced and would love to see you in clinic

Samantha Davidson
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