Know your pigmentation
Several factors can cause pigmentation issues, whether it’s UV exposure, heat, prescription medications, irritation from skincare products or hormonal changes. “’Abnormal’ skin pigmentation can occur for a number of reasons, but the top three conditions I see in my clients are melasma, acne marks (also known as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation), and sun damage, or age spots.
It’s an issue many of us have had to contend with at some point in our lives. Maybe you overdid the sunbeds? Self-confessed sun worshipper? Acne sufferer? Pregnancy melasma? There are all sorts of triggers for pigmentation. Depending on the cause, pigmentation can leave us feeling self-conscious and searching for solutions. Here’s more about pigmentation and a few solutions…
What does pigmentation mean? Pigmentation is the colouring of our skin determined by the amount of pigment or ‘melanin’ we have in it. We come in every shade imaginable and our melanin helps protect us from the damaging effects of the sun. Which explains why those with fair skin burn more easily.
What causes hyper or hypo pigmentation? Illness or injury can trigger changes in the skin’s colour. When the skin changes are darker we call this hyperpigmentation. If skin becomes lighter it is hypopigmentation. Irregular areas in which there are changes to skin colour are much more common than you might think.
Burns – Sun damage or other heat trauma like steam or heat from a hot oven may cause temporary changes to your skin’s pigmentation. It may even result in scar tissue. Medications can also increase your photosensitivity. These can make skin more susceptible to the sun’s rays. This is why we do consultation forms before treatments such as Dermalux.
Hormonal Changes, especially during pregnancy, can cause skin colour changes. Melasma, or chloasma, can cause dark patches on the face, often called the “mask of pregnancy.”. Some contraceptive pills can also make skin more susceptible to pigmentation.
What can help?
Sun Protection Using sun protection and avoiding overexposure to UV is an effective way to avoid the most common pigmentation problems. Avoid sitting in or being out during the hottest part of the day. This is when the sun’s rays are at their most damaging. If you can’t avoid being out during this time, apply sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 50. Reapply sunscreen often.
Skincare Ingredients
The Best skincare ingredients to treat pigmentation are Retinol or Vitamin A, to promote cell turnover and the production of healthy skin and vitamin C which is a potent antioxidant to help prepare your skin for any oxidative stress caused by environmental aggressors like UV rays.
What about professional treatments?
RF Microneedling - RadioFrequency Microneedling
Here's why it reigns supreme:
Double Whammy: This innovative treatment combines the power of microneedling with radiofrequency energy. Microneedling creates tiny controlled channels in the skin, triggering collagen production for repair and rejuvenation. Radiofrequency energy supercharges this process, directly targeting hyperpigmentation and promoting healthy cell turnover.
Precision Strikes: Radio Frequency Microneedling offers targeted treatment. This means it tackles dark spots and uneven skin tone with incredible accuracy, leaving the surrounding healthy skin untouched.
More Than Just Spots: While Radio Frequency Microneedling is a game-changer for hyperpigmentation, it also delivers a host of other benefits. Think tighter, smoother skin, reduced fine lines and wrinkles, and even minimized scars. Talk about a multi-tasking marvel!
Available to book here
IPL
Intense pulse light is great for superficial pigmentation and freckles as it helps to rejuvenate the skin. More intensive lasers that are able to penetrate deeper into the dermis can be helpful for more pronounced pigmentation and melasma
Skin Peels
A chemical peel enhances and smooths the texture of the skin. It is an effective treatment for facial blemishes, wrinkles and uneven pigmentation or problematic skin acne and active pustules. They exfoliate the outer layers of dead skin, revealing a new skin layer with improved tone, texture and colour. The Million Dollar Immaculate Collection contains three medium depth skin peels designed to be used on their own or part of an ongoing treatment program in clinic to help manage issues with uneven skin tone and the ongoing ageing process.
Who is this treatment good for? Designed to give near immediate results without the downtime often associated with chemical peels. Million Dollar Immaculate Peels have been developed to support improvements to problematic, inflamed, irritated oily or spot prone skin types to help calm, heal and restore a more-healthy calm appearance.
Radiate Peel- This peel is perfect for uneven or pigmented skin. Designed to treat age spots, acne scarring, dull and photodamaged skin, as well as reduce the signs of ageing, leaving clients with a post-treatment radiant glow.
Available to book here
Phototherapy Red light is a narrow, isolated form of natural light to give the appropriate intensity and wavelength for light therapy. The intensity of red light used in therapy is much higher than you would naturally get from sunlight. And, it’s not damaging like sunlight can be! Sunlight has a wide range of colors, not just red light, that can be damaging to skin after long exposure.
Red light acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, which is part of what causes hyperpigmentation. In addition, red light has a long enough wavelength to penetrate the epidermis (outermost layer of the skin) and reach the dermis (the middle layer of the skin). This enables it to reach fibroblasts, special types of cells that sit beneath the skin and manufacture collagen – a protein that helps tighten and firm the skin and heal wounds.
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Million Dollar Superfacial - Glow
This fabulous Glow facial is ideal for treating Pigmentation issues. A perfect start for clients who would like to progress onto skin needling or skin peels for a more advanced treatment.
Get started on your pigmentation by booking one here:
Microneedling
Standalone Microneedling does a tremendous job of lightening and reversing hyperpigmentation and sun damage. This is due to the power of collagen production and its ability to repair and restore your skin. There’s recent research that suggests that microneedling is the most effective therapy for sun spots (face or body) pigmentation and UV damage. Million Dollar Microneedling incorporates the very latest in Mesotherapy with targeted serums for face, hair and body. Book now and see results from day one.
Radio Frequency
The wonder kid of treatments! This collagen stimulating treatment delivers unparalleled skin tightening, improvement in fine lines and wrinkles, AND helps get rid of pigmentation, acne scarring and stretch marks.
If you want to wave goodbye large pores, pigmentation or texture as well as leaving with tighter, younger looking skin... then this is the treatment for you.
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