AFRICAN SKIN AND HYPERPIGMENTATION
In my line of work as a beauty consultant, I have come across so many skin conditions, some i do not even have a name for. But the most generic and troublesome skin condition that plagues the African skin is hyper pigmentations. It doesn’t come as a surprise considering the fact that African skin naturally produces strong melanin.
To understand this topic we need a few definitions. we should start by understanding the full meaning of melanin and hyperpigmentation.
What’s hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation isn’t necessarily a condition but a medical term that describes skin which appears darker or has increased pigmentation.
It’s a direct result of an increased level of a hormone in your body that results in increased melanin synthesis.
The condition can occur in small patches in specific areas of the skin or cover large areas of the skin or even in some cases affect the entire skin covering the body.
Although in most cases hyperpigmentation usually isn’t harmful, it could be an underlying symptom of a more serious medical condition.
What causes hyperpigmentation?
A common cause of hyperpigmentation is an excess production of melanin. Melanin is a pigment that gives the skin its color. It’s produced by skin cells called melanocytes.
So many conditions or factors can change the production of melanin in your body.
Certain medications and medical treatments can cause hyperpigmentation.
Pregnancy changes and hormone levels can affect melanin production in some women.
Excessive sun exposure can also cause an increase in melanin.
One of the most common causes of hyperpigmentation in most African skin apart from acne is the use of bleaching products.
Types of hyperpigmentation
There are several types of hyperpigmentation, but the common ones are melasma, sunspots, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Melasma-: most medical practitioners believe melasma is caused by hormonal changes and may develop during pregnancy.
Sunspots-: Sunspot also called liver spots and solar lentigines. As the name suggests the condition is usually related to excess sun exposure over time. In general, they appear as spots on areas exposed to the sun, they vary in size and usually affects areas like the hands and face. Though it occurs in people of all skin types they are more common with people who have light skin and also adults who have used strong lightening and bleaching skincare products over the years. but generally is not very common in extremely dark African skin. Even if it’s present it would simply be unnoticeable by the natural eyes.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation-: This is a result of injury or inflammation to the skin. A common cause of this type is acne. In my years of practice this is the most rampant form of hyperpigmentation that occurs in the African skin, so rampant that we have an average of six cases out of every ten skin conditions reported at our Ruvie Beauty Clinics
Lets take a general look at the symptoms and risk factors?
Darkened areas on the skin are the main symptoms of hyperpigmentation. Patches can vary in size and develop anywhere on the body.
The biggest risk factors for general hyperpigmentation are sun exposure and inflammation, as both situations can increase melanin production. The more you expose your skin to the sun, the greater your risk of increased skin pigmentation.
Depending on the type of disorder, other risk factors for hyperpigmented patches may include:
• oral use of contraceptives as with the case of melasma
• darker skin type, such as African skin, which is more prone to pigmentation changes
• drugs, skincare Products such as strong lightening and bleaching products that increase your sensitivity to the sunlight and inhibits the production of melanin
• Wound or superficial burn injury and prolonged frequent exposure to the sun
How do we diagnose and treat hyperpigmentation?
Any medical or cosmetic dermatologist and a trained medical aesthetician can diagnose the cause of your hyperpigmentation. They will request your medical history and give you a physical exam or skin analysis to determine the cause. In some cases, a skin biopsy is used to diagnose the condition.
Topical prescription medication can treat some cases of hyperpigmentation. This medication usually contains hydroquinone, which lightens the skin.
However, prolonged use of topical hydroquinone (without any breaks in use) can cause darkening of the skin, known as ochronosis. (As a skin consultant who currently practices in very hot climate of Africa, I hardly encourage these methods of treatment). So it’s best to use topical hydroquinone only under the care of a dermatologist so that they can properly guide you on how to use the medication without any adverse effects.
Using topical retinoids also assists with lightening dark spots of the skin.
These medications we just mentioned can take a few months to lighten darkened areas.
Is not always possible to prevent hyperpigmentation. However you can reduce your risks by protecting yourself from the harmful UV Rays of the sun.
Sunscreen is the single most important factor in improving most causes of hyperpigmentation (even when treating the said condition with hydroquinone) . A good sunblocking sunscreen, at least an SPF 50-90.
Use it daily. Reapply it every 2 hours if you’re out in the sun — more frequently if you’re sweating as is the case with most people living in humid places.
Also in very hot climates, avoiding the sun during the time of the day when it’s strongest, which is typically 12 pm to 4 pm. (Personally I stay indoors in my office or at home within these hours but for those whose lifestyle and work will not permit them to do same, they should use a good SPF protection).
Wearing protective clothing such as long-sleeved clothes and hats may not help much unless they are specifically designed to block the sun rays, but it can go a long way to reduce the risks.
There are also skin disorders with which visible light may play a role in perpetuating the hyperpigmentation, such as in melasma.
In these cases, I would also suggest laser treatment or chemical peels reduce hyperpigmentation, depending on the causes diagnosed.
Chemical Peels is usually a very good treatment for hyperpigmentation. It uses acids at stronger concentrations to treat the desired area of skin, which reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation by removing the epidermis. And yet even a higher concentration of these peels also penetrates the middle layer of the skin (Dermis) to produce more dramatic and effective results. This treatment is usually performed by a certified clinical aesthetician at Ruvie Beauty Clinic. Cost of chemical Peels:- At any Ruvie Beauty Clinic this treatment cost between 15,000- 45,000 Naira ($40-$150) per treatment and we generally recommend several treatment appropriately spaced out.
Another type of treatment which is also effective for hyperpigmentation is microdermabrasion procedure. This happens to be one of my favorite. It’s a minimally invasive procedure done by a certified aesthetician. This treatment is a well-known exfoliating treatment for hyperpigmentation that uses tiny particles to sand away dead skin. Its a non-chemical procedure that’s non-ablative, which means it does not destroy skin tissue, and therefore does not require significant recovery or down time. Microdermabrasion is best for milder hyperpigmentation conditions, since the results are modest in terms of improving the appearance of skin discoloration and also the areas of the skin it covers is restricted to the face and some parts of the body. Cost of Microdermabrasion:- At any Ruvie Beauty Clinic this treatment cost less than 15,000 Naira ($40) per treatment and we generally recommend several treatment appropriately spaced out.
Over a decade, as a skin consultant and skincare product formulator, I have successfully treated numerous mild cases of hyperpigmentation with Ruvie customized lotions and other skincare products. In every case adding the right amount of skin lightening agents, such as Alpha Arbutin, Kojic acids, etc. Including SPF 30 and higher, to these lotions. Our success rates have been above 90%.
Generally, Hyperpigmentation isn’t harmful neither is it a sign of a serious medical condition. As with most cases I have noticed over the years, dark areas will fade on their own with good sun protection. In other cases, usually, when a more aggressive treatment is needed, there are no guarantees that the dark spots will fade completely in spite of treatment, but they are generally better.
Like I always say, “take care of your skin and it will take care of you!”.