Sun Spot Removal

Have you been affected by various sun spots all over your body? Do you feel that these spots are preventing you from revealing your body whenever you go out? Are you looking for effective sun spot removal methods?

If so, don’t worry. Sun spots can be easily removed with various treatment methods and natural remedies.

What causes sun spots?

Sun spots are mainly caused due to either of these two reasons – [highlight]excess sun exposure or hormonal imbalances caused during pregnancy[/highlight]

Excess sun exposure is considered to be one of the most common causes of sun spots. Certain sun spots are intensified and triggered due to intense UV radiation as well. Most types of sun spots are harmless and there’s nothing to worry about them. However, some of these spots that are triggered by UV radiation could lead to skin cancer and therefore, immediate treatment may be required.

Sun spots may also be caused due to hormonal imbalances caused during pregnancy. They are also known as liver spots and are known to affect plenty of women during their pregnancy phases. Sun spots may also be confused with melasma and other dark spots that are likely to affect women during pregnancy.

How to prevent the development of sun spots?

Preventing the onset of sun spots is better than taking steps to cure it. Even if you do take steps to have your sun spots removed, there are chances of sun spots recurring again a couple of weeks later in the same or a different location. Therefore, the best thing you can do is to take steps to prevent the development of sun spots itself.

Here are some ways to keep the development of sun spots in check…

1. Sunscreen lotions

Sunscreen lotions can help block out intense sunlight and harmful UV radiation thereby ensuring that your skin cells and tissues are not damaged. It’s an effective strategy. Make sure that you use a sun screen with a high sun protection factor (ideally 30 or above depending on the location you reside in).

2. Balance in your lifestyle

Hormonal imbalances can be prevented even while you’re pregnant or during other stages in your life by creating balance. For pregnant women, there are loads of multivitamins and other supplements which you can take to control these imbalances and keep your hormonal glands functioning at optimum levels. Ensuring adequate amount of rest, regular exercise and a proper diet will keep stress at bay thereby preventing hormonal imbalances.

Sun Spot Removal Methods

Sun spots can be removed through a variety of treatments and procedures. It isn’t a harmless skin condition. All one requires is patience and investment of resources. There are some expensive procedures that may instantaneously heal your sun spots. And at the same time, there are also other inexpensive methods that you can follow for a lasting but slow cure.

With that said, here are some of the best sun spot removal methods…

1. Laser surgery

Laser surgery is a surgical procedure that is extremely effective when it comes to removal of sun spots. You can expect your sun spots to vanish in as little as 1 – 3 sessions of laser. The procedure involves burning of the skin layers that contain the sun spots with the help of laser beams. Once these skin layers are burned, newer skin cells and tissues begin growing in their place.

For most types of sun spots and other hyperpigmentation related conditions, laser surgery is the best method to follow. Treatment of cancerous sun spots are also done through laser therapy.

Pros:

• Quickly treats the sun spots even the stubborn ones and the ones that are cancerous
• Has a high success rate

Cons:

• An expensive procedure
• In some cases, it’s known to cause scarring

2. Skin Whitening Creams

Application of skin whitening creams on your sun spots on a continual basis for a period of time (3 – 6) weeks is an alternative way of treating your sun spots. It’s slow but it does work extremely well. The reason such skin whitening creams work is because they help work on the cause – [highlight]excess melanin production[/highlight].

Sunlight and hormonal imbalances cause your skin cells to produce melanin thereby leading to development of sun spots. This is kept in check by skin whitening creams that contain tyronsinase inhibitors.

These substances inhibit the activities of melanin producing cells and other enzymes thereby keeping the sun spots in check and whitening your skin overtime.

It works on nearly all types of sun spots and other hyperpigmentation related conditions. However with cancerous sun spots, you may need to resort to other clinical treatment procedures.

Pros:

• Affordable process
• Works on the cause – melanin production

Cons:

• Takes time for any significant result
• Will not work on cancerous or certain other types of sun spots

Age Spot Removal

Do you have age spots all over your face and other areas of your body? Do you feel that these spots are affecting the way you look? Do you want to learn about some effective age spot removal methods? If so, pay very close attention here.

Age spots are one skin condition that a significant portion of the population goes through at some point in their lives. These spots develop due to various reasons. In many cases, age spots are also confused with other hyperpigmentation related conditions such as chloasma, liver spots and so on.

Even though most of the treatment methods used for treatment of other hyperpigmentation related conditions works for age spot removal, it’s important that you know for sure that you’re suffering from age spots.

Some types of age spots can be cancerous and may lead to skin cancer in the future. And therefore, it shouldn’t be ignored. We strongly recommend that you consult your dermatologist and have him/her examine your skin thoroughly.

Age Spots Causes

Here are some reasons that could lead to development of age spots…

1. Sun exposure

Sunlight can seriously damage your skin cells and tissues especially in your older years. As you age, your skin cells and tissues become weak. Hormonal imbalances could also make your skin cells and tissues weak. In such a case, intense exposure to sunlight and UV radiation could lead to damage of tissues.

Our body’s natural reaction to such intense sun damage is to produce more melanin and increase the concentration of melanocytes (melanin producing cells) in the areas where intense damage is caused. This leads to development of age spots.

2. Aging

These spots are called as age spots for a reason… They mainly affect women who’re in their late 30s and 40s. They do affect men but quite rarely. Age spots are followed by a variety of other skin conditions such as wrinkles, dark circles and so on.

It’s inevitable to prevent aging. However, you can rejuvenate and ensure optimum skin health by creating balance in your lifestyle and using the right creams and lotions to protect your skin from further damage.

Age Spot Removal Methods

With that said, here are some of the most effective age spot removal methods that you can follow….

1. Laser therapy

Laser therapy involves the use of pigment removing devices such as pulsed-dye lasers to treat the pigmentation at its root. The cells that are producing high amounts of pigment are killed or their enzymes inhibited with these high intensity laser beams.

Depending on the intensity of the age spots and the area it has appeared, the number of laser sessions required may vary. In most cases, age spots can be removed in 1 – 5 sessions of laser.

Pros:

• Works on the root
• Works on all types of age spots including the cancerous ones

Cons:

• May require multiple sessions
• Can be costly

2. Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion involves sanding the external layers of the skin that are affected by sun spots to protect further sun damage and removal of these external layers. Newer skin layers eventually begin growing in their place that is age spot free.

Pros:

• A quick fix method for your age spot
• Cheaper than laser surgery

Cons:

• May require multiple sessions of treatment
• May not work on certain types of age spots

3. Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are also often prescribed for treatment of age spots and other hyperpigmentation related conditions. Chemical peels help burn the outermost layers of the skin that contain these age spots.

The skin begins to peel eventually thereby leading to disappearance of age spots. Newer cells and tissues begin growing in their place in a couple of weeks.

Pros:

• A cheap and effective treatment method
• Works on several types of age spots

Cons:

• Can be nasty for those with sensitive skin
• May take time for results

4. Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is the use of liquid nitrogen to destroy cells and tissues in the pigmented regions (i.e. places where your age spots are located). Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the tissues that contain the age spots. This cuts of the blood supply and kills these cells and tissues. Newer and lighter skin begins growing eventually which is free from age spots and other pigmented spots.

Pros:

• Quick fix method for age spots
• Works on various types of age spots and other pigmentation conditions

Cons:

• Can be expensive (although cheaper than laser)

5. Skin Whitening Cream

If you’re interested in a low cost alternative to all other types of treatment, your only option is the use of skin whitening creams. Skin whitening creams [highlight]do not cause side effects[/highlight] like other treatment methods and are ideal for sensitive skin types as well.

However, the only problem with these is that they take time. Skin whitening creams attack the enzymes and cells that are responsible for the melanin production thereby leading to eventual healing of age spots.

Pros:

• Provides a lasting cure by working on the cause
• Suitable for sensitive skin
• Is economical

Cons:

• Takes time

What Causes Freckles

Have you been suffering from freckles? Do you want to learn about what causes freckles? Do you want to prevent these spots and makes them vanish once and for all? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Freckles are a skin condition that consists of clusters of light brown spots on sun-exposed skin. The condition is often harmless. In rare cases, it is known to develop skin cancer.

Knowing the cause of an illness is essential to treating it successfully. The same can be said for freckles. Research has convincing evidence to prove that freckles are a skin condition that passes through genetics. The condition is prevalent amongst individuals with a fair skin complexion.

Here’s how freckles are caused…

Freckles are caused when the skin cells in our body begin producing an excess amount of the brown pigment Melanin. Melanin is a pigment that imparts color to our skin. When the pigment is produced in excess, the condition is called Hyper-Pigmentation.

Freckles can be called a form of hyper-pigmentation. Treatment methods that work for curing other hyper-pigmentation related conditions such as melasma, dark circles, etc have been known to work for treating Melasma as well.

So what causes our skin cells to produce more melanin?

Well… there are numerous factors that trigger hyper-pigmentation such as hormonal imbalances, sun exposure, genetics, drugs, contraceptives, etc.

With freckles, the main factor that triggers the condition is often excess exposure to sun. Sunlight naturally forces our skin cells to produce melanin.

People with a causation ancestry usually lived in locations where the exposure to sunlight was quite low unlike their African or middle-eastern counterparts. And therefore, they naturally tend to develop freckles on exposure to sunlight.

With most people, freckles tend to go away as they age as their skin cells begin to develop resistance towards exposure to excess sunlight.

Types Of Freckles

1. Ephelides

Ephelides is a form of freckles that consist of flat and light brown spots that naturally fade with reduction of sun exposure. Ephelides mainly occurs in the arm and shoulders as opposed to normal freckles that develop near and around the face.

2. Liver spots

Liver spots (sun spots) are a form of freckles that form after years of exposure to sun. They don’t fade with reduction of sun exposure and tend to be persistent. The condition may require a thorough examination by the doctor so as to prevent development of skin cancer or any other dangerous illness.

Freckles Color

Most freckles are often brown in color. But amongst certain people, the color of these spots can vary. They can be reddish, yellowish, brown or black. These spots are generally darker than the skin surrounding them.

Prevention Of Freckles

Caucasians have a genetic pre-disposition towards developing freckles and this is inevitable. However, there are various things that one can do to prevent the development of freckles.

Some freckle prevention methods include…

1. Use of sunscreen

Try wearing a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 30 or more every time you step out in the sun. It’s recommended even for toddlers who are likely to be exposed to intense amounts of sunlight during their growing years.

2. Sun protective clothing

Wearing clothing that protects most or all of your skin from exposure to intense sun rays can help prevent freckles too. Some types of clothing includes shirts, long sleeves, long pants, hats, etc.

3. Avoiding sunlight

Avoiding sunlight during the peak hours i.e. from 10 am to 4 pm is also known to help prevent freckles. Try going out before or after these times to prevent the development of the condition and to ensure a faster cure.

Treatment Methods For Freckles

There are several effective treatment methods available for freckles. Most treatment methods that work for curing hyper-pigmentation are also known to work for freckles. In some cases, one or more of these methods may have to be used in combination.

Amongst some people, the treatment methods may provide a lasting cure. However in some cases, repeated UV exposure can lead to onset of freckles again.

Here are some of the most effective treatment methods for freckles…

1. Skin Whitening Creams

Skin whitening creams that contain tyronsinase inhibitors are known to work when it comes to making these spots vanish and whitening the skin.

Improvement can be seen when these creams are applied on the spots for a couple of months. Some of the best tyronsinase inhibitors include kojic acid, gigawhite, alpha arbutin, licorice extract, etc.

2. Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery is a therapy where the freckle spots are frozen by the application of liquid nitrogen. Not all types of freckles react to liquid nitrogen. We recommend consulting your physician to see if cryosurgery may work for you.

3. Laser Treatment

Laser treatment is a simple and safe procedure that has a high success rate when it comes to treating nearly all types of freckles. In a few sessions, the condition can vanish completely.

How To Remove Dark Underarms

Do you find it impossible to wear sleeveless clothing because of dark underarms? Do you want to learn how to remove dark underarms? If yes, read on.

Why and how are dark underarms caused?

Darkening of your underarms is actually a form of hyper-pigmentation. There are many various factors that contribute to darkening of your armpits. There’s no single exact cause.

But all of these factors lead to just one thing – increase in the production of melanin in the pigment cells in your underarms.

Here are some of the most common factors that contribute to darkening of your armpits…

1. Friction from clothing

Wearing extremely tight clothes will restrict air flow and also result in friction which may damage the tender skin. Our body naturally reacts to this by producing more melanin.

Friction along with excess sweating is known to darken the underarms. You can easily prevent this by wearing loose clothes whenever you step out during hot weather conditions.

2. Soaps or deodorants

Your armpits are extremely sensitive and the skin layers don’t react well with deodorants or soaps that you may apply. If you have sensitive skin, there’s a high chance of your deodorant or soap triggering the darkening. Try changing the soap or deodorant you use and see if it works for you.

3. Shaving

Whenever you shave, you cause a number of small abrasions. Our body’s natural reaction to these abrasions is to produce more melanin in these cells so as to help recover quickly. Your skin will darken each and every time you shave as there’s nothing you can do to prevent the abrasions.

The best way to prevent this is by replacing shaving with waxing. Waxing does not leave behind any hair as it removes the hair at its root. It may be a painful procedure but well worth it because it truly makes your skin glow.

4. Dead skin buildup

Build up of dead skin in the armpits can also lead to darkening of the skin overtime. The old cells accumulate and hide the new and younger cells. This can be easily taken care of by cleansing your skin with a scrubber and soap regularly.

5. Lack of hygiene

Most people don’t pay much attention to their forearms as they do to other areas of their body. This leads to accumulation of dead skin cells.

This leads to your armpits becoming a favorable breeding ground for the growth of bacteria. Following hygienic practices and cleaning your underarms properly every time you shower can help prevent this.

6. Medical conditions

Medical conditions such as diabetes and obesity are also known to lead to darkening of underarms. These conditions cause an excess amount of stress on the body. The body reacts to this naturally by triggering the production of melanin in skin cells throughout the body.

7. Drugs

Certain contraceptive pills and drugs originating from quinine are also known to cause hyper-pigmentation. This could be another reason why you have dark underarms.

How To Lighten Your Dark Underarms

Prevention is often better than cure. By following hygienic practices, you can prevent the development of the condition.

But if you already have dark underarms, don’t despair. There are lots of methods that you can use to lighten your skin overtime.

However, please note that reversal of the darkening is not an overnight process. You need to be patient for at least 2 – 3 weeks for the complete whitening to happen.

With that said, here are some of the most effective methods to help lighten your dark underarms…

1. Turmeric Powder Masks

Application of turmeric powder masks daily can help whiten your underarms eventually (in 2 – 3 weeks). Turmeric masks can be made with a combination of lemon juice, yogurt, turmeric powder and honey.

Here’s how to make a turmeric powder mask…

• Take 3 – 5 teaspoons of turmeric powder
• Add a few drops of lemon juice/honey and yogurt to the turmeric powder
• Make the mixture into a paste
• Apply the paste in your underarms after thoroughly cleansing them
• Let it dry for 30 minutes or so and rinse clean
• The best time to apply the mask is in the night after thoroughly scrubbing your underarms. Make sure that you give yourself 15 – 30 minutes time each and every day to apply the paste and let it dry.

2. Cucumber juice

Cucumber juice is regarded as a natural skin lightener and bleaching agent. It can bleach away the dead skin cells and whiten your skin cells quickly. Like the turmeric facial mask, it will take anywhere from 2 – 3 weeks for the cucumber juice remedy to work as well.

Here’s how to apply cucumber juice…

• Cut the cucumber into slices and juice it
• Thoroughly cleanse your underarms
• Dip a cotton ball in the juice and squeeze the cotton ball in the affected areas

Best Treatment For Melasma

Do you have nasty melasma spots all over your face? Do these spots cause you a great deal of frustration? Have you been looking for the best treatment for melasma so as to restore the youthful, beautiful look you once had? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, you’re about to learn some powerful melasma treatment methods that you can follow to treat it naturally from the comfort of your home.

What Is Melasma?

One of the main mistakes many people make is that they tend to misdiagnose their condition. Most women often associate brown or dark spots on their skin to melasma.

While this is true to a certain extent, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. In a lot of cases, it could have been post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation or freckles.

Melasma is just a type of hyper-pigmentation. A lot of people wrongly diagnose every form of hyper-pigmentation to melasma. And this is one of the main reasons why the skin condition tends to persist despite of trying different treatment methods.

If you have spots on your skin and don’t know what they are, we strongly recommended that you consult a doctor. A doctor will be able to analyze your skin thoroughly and tell you clearly about the condition.

If you don’t have the time to visit a dermatologist, consulting a general physician would help too. Even he/she will be able to tell the difference.

Melasma is a skin condition that affects over 40 – 50 million women in the entire world. The condition is also known as chloasma or the mask of pregnancy (because the condition usually occurs when the individual is pregnant).

There is no single trigger that is said to cause melasma. Experts have agreed on a number of factors including, but not limited to:

As you can see, there are a number of factors that cause melasma. Knowing what caused you to have melasma can help you take effective steps to prevent the onset of the condition in the future.

Melasma can be cured but it’s never permanent. There’s always a chance of melasma being triggered again in the future due to any one of the above mentioned factors.

Prevention Methods For Melasma

Here are some of the best prevention methods for melasma…

1. Sunscreen lotions

For most people, exposure to sunlight and UV radiation tends to trigger melasma. Melasma is a skin condition that mainly affects women. But it is also known to affect men as well.

The main reason why most men and some women are affected by melasma is due to exposure to intense sunlight and UV radiation.

It’s impossible to live without being exposed to sunlight. The only solution is to apply a powerful sunscreen lotion or cream with a sun protection factor of 60 or above to ensure that your skin cells aren’t harmed.

2. Intake of drugs

If you’re currently on drugs or any medications for any illness or disease, there’s nothing you can do about it. You can either ask your doctor to make some changes to the medication (which he might if your condition is not dangerous) or just sit by until you are cured of your illness.

If you’re taking any other medication apart from drugs to treat an illness or a disease, we strongly recommend cutting them down. For example – contraceptive pills, hormonal medication, etc.

3. Treatment methods for inflammatory conditions

If you’re currently taking medications or undergoing treatment for an inflammatory skin condition such as acne or eczema, we strongly recommend modifying your treatment method. Not all treatment methods for these skin conditions are completely safe.

For example, Benzyl peroxide – the most prescribed agent for treating acne is known to trigger nasty reactions in people with sensitive skin. So make sure that you only follow treatment methods based on the advice of your physician.

Treatment For Melasma

There are numerous treatment methods for Melasma. Some types of melasma can be too intense and difficult to heal. And therefore, not all of these methods will work.

When it comes down to Melasma or any form of hyperpigmentation, there’s only one treatment method that’s highly recommended.

The treatment method works for every type of melasma regardless of the intensity. The only thing it requires is additional time.

The treatment method – application of topical lightening creams.

Topical skin lightening creams and lotions contain various ingredients that are known for their ability to reduce melanin production by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for all of it – tyronsinase. And by inhibiting this enzyme, these substances help keep the melanin levels in check and thereby help you treat melasma quickly.

There are a number of substances that can be used for inhibiting tyronsinase. However, not all of them are created equal.

Substances such as hydroquinone should be avoided as they cause nasty side effects. Recommended substances include Gigawhite, Kojic Acid, Alpha Arbutin, and Licorice Extract and so on.

Age Spot Removal

Have you been suffering from age spots all over your body? Do these age spots actually prevent you from flaunting your beautiful skin? Do you want to learn about different age spot removal methods? If yes, you’ve come to the right place.

There are numerous treatment methods that you can use to treat age spots. However, not all of these are ideal because a) they are too expensive, b) cause nasty side effects or c) don’t work at all.

With any skin condition, it’s always better to prevent the onset of the condition than to try and cure it. The same can be said with age spots as well.

Curing age spots is possible thanks to various advancements in technology. However, it’s not recommended because these treatment methods can be draining (financially, emotionally and physically).

For most people, age spots can be easily kept in check if they just focus on the original factors that contributed to the condition in the first place.

For example, many women experience age spots due to increased sun exposure. This can be easily prevented by the application of a powerful sunscreen (SPF of 60 instead of SPF of 30) and wearing the right clothing when stepping out in the sun. Significant improvement can be seen in as little as two weeks.

Having said that, here are some of the most common factors that are responsible for causing age spots…

1. Exposure to sunlight and UV radiation

With the ozone layer depleting slowly, the amount of UV radiation entering our atmosphere has increased significantly in the last couple of years. Sunlight, for the most part, is quite harmless. But UV radiation isn’t.

Sunlight will tan your skin and may slowly lead to age spots. However, UV radiation will not only cause age spots but also lead to skin cancer (in the future).

This can be easily prevented by wearing a powerful sunscreen, the right clothes and avoiding the sun when it is the most intense (11 am – 4 pm).

2. Hormonal imbalances

Hormonal imbalances are another factor that leads to age spots. Hormonal imbalances can be triggered due to variety of things such as intake of birth control pills, pregnancy, medications for certain illnesses, aging, etc.

If you’re aware of what’s causing these imbalances in the first place, you can easily check it at the source and prevent age spots completely.

Treatment Methods For Age Spots

If you’ve tried to prevent the development of age spots and none of these prevention methods has worked the way you wanted, you can turn to various age spot removal methods.

There are numerous age spot removal methods which can help make your age spots vanish quickly. But mind you, each one of these treatment methods will drain you (physically, mentally or emotionally).

Here are some of the best treatment methods for age spot removal…

1. Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing is a form of laser therapy which can be used to burn off the outermost layers of your skin (where you currently have age spots). Once these layers are burned off, new age-spot free skin will naturally begin to grow.

Laser resurfacing will make your spots vanish extremely fast. But mind you, it isn’t a permanent solution to age spots. Your age spots will occur again if any of the above mentioned factors are triggered (increased sun exposure or hormonal imbalances).

Pros:

• Quick and ultra-fast removal of age spots
• Highly effective and painless

Cons:

• Quite expensive
• Isn’t a permanent solution
• Can lead to scarring (rare cases)

2. Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is an age spot removal method which is quite similar to that of laser therapy. It involves removal of the affected areas of the skin by sanding.

This allows for newer skin to grow in a couple of days. But it’s important that you give your skin the time to recover. Like laser therapy, it isn’t a permanent solution and your new skin could be affected by age spots too.

Pros:

• Quick and easy age spot removal
• Can be affordable for most people

Cons:

• Doesn’t provide permanent relief
• Requires recovery time

3. Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is a new treatment method that has been found to be successful on a variety of skin conditions such as birthmarks, moles, freckles and age spots. Like laser therapy, age spot removal is incredibly quick and easy with cryotherapy.

The method involves the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze the affected areas (locations where your spots are). The frozen spots are removed and new skin is allowed to grow.

Pros:

• Quick and super-fast removal of age spots
• More affordable than laser
• Painless

Cons:

• Not done everywhere (very few centers that are accredited for cryotherapy)
• Does not provide lasting relief
• May require time for recovery

Post Inflammatory Hyper pigmentation

Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation is a skin condition that consists of appearance of dark brown or black spots on the skin in areas where acne lesions were present earlier.

The condition occurs when the pigment-producing cells melanocytes produce an excess of the skin pigment melanin in locations where the acne lesions were previously present.

Production of excess melanin in melanocytes is called hyperpigmentation and since the condition occurs after an inflammation (i.e. acne); it is known as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Why and How Is Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation Caused?

With most people, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is triggered due to treatment methods used for curing acne or any other inflammatory skin condition. It doesn’t normally occur when acne is unattended to and fades naturally. The condition is mainly a side effect of treatment methods used for healing inflammations.

There is no one specific treatment method that is known to lead to post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Almost all kinds of treatment methods for healing inflammations lead to these spots.

Here are some of the most common methods that are likely to trigger hyperpigmentation in the acne lesions…

1. Benzoyl Peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide is the most common solution recommended for treating acne and other common inflammations. Benzoyl peroxide is extremely effective when it comes to treating acne.

However, it is known to cause skin irritation amongst many people. 1 in 20 people are known to be sensitive to Benzoyl peroxide.

Once the acne fades with Benzoyl peroxide, pigmentation tends to happen naturally as a side effect (even amongst those who are not sensitive to Benzoyl peroxide).

2. Retinoid

Most doctors recommend retinoids when it comes to treating certain kinds of acne. However, retinoids are known to cause nasty skin reactions at the beginning of treatment.

This leads to development of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation once the acne spots fade. This is mainly common among people with darker skin complexions.

3. Injury caused

Plucking of pimples is also known to leave behind scars which in turn lead to development of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Our body naturally tries to heal these scars quickly and an excess of melanin is produced in the affected areas to help heal the scars at the earliest.

4. Ultraviolet light exposure

Exposure to sunlight is known to naturally trigger increased melanin production. But in most cases, exposure to sunlight only causes your skin to tan. It does not cause your skin to develop these spots.

However, exposure to ultra-violet radiation on the recently faded spots is known to cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

5. Drugs

Intake of drugs for treatment of acne or other illnesses are also known to cause hyperpigmentation. Some drugs that have been found to trigger hyperpigmentation include chloroquine, arsenic, chlorpromazine, tetracycline, bleomycin, busulfan and antimalarial drugs.

Hormonal drugs and contraceptive pills are also known to cause hyperpigmentation amongst many individuals.

6. Trauma

Severe amount of stress (mental or physical) can impair your body’s ability to function properly. Your body’s natural reaction to increased stress is to produce high amounts of melanin in the skin cells.

The best way to prevent this is by ensuring that you get 7 – 8 hours of sleep each and every night and by maintaining a proper, well-balanced diet.

Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is not only common amongst individuals with acne but also other inflammatory skin conditions that involve the dermo-epidermal junction such as psoriasis, chronic dermatitis, lymphoma, eczema, lichen planus, etc.

Prevention Of Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

With any illness, it’s often better to prevent the development of the condition rather than try to cure it. The same can be said for post inflammatory hyperpigmentation as healing takes a really long time to work.

Epidermal pigmentation (i.e. involving the upper most layers of the skin) will take at least 3 – 6 months to heal whereas dermal pigmentation may take a year to heal. In some cases if the intensity is quite less, you can expect the condition to vanish naturally within 10 – 15 days as well.

With that said, here are some of the best methods for preventing post inflammatory hyperpigmentation…

1. Using a sunscreen

Using an effective sunscreen to block out excess sunlight and harmful UV radiation works extremely well when it comes to preventing hyperpigmentation.

Just make sure that the sunscreen you purchase has a sun protection factor of 60 and above. Sunscreens with sun protection factors lower than 60 are not effective especially when UV radiation is involved.

2. Preventing injury

It’s better to leave behind acne spots as they are instead of plucking them. Plucking the acne spots leads to development of scars which in turn leads to post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Stop plucking your pimples and leave them on their own. They will heal naturally in a few weeks.

3. Skin lightening creams

Use of skin lightening creams in the affected areas before and after the onset of the condition can help keep the spots to a minimum. Skin lightening creams contain tyronsinase inhibitors which help prevent the production of melanin.

What Causes Birthmarks

Do you have birthmarks or does your child have them? Do you want to know what causes birthmarks? Birthmarks are persistent visible lesions on the skin that are usually visible at birth or near birth.

There are so many different types of birthmarks that are visible amongst newborns. The most common of these are the vascular birthmarks that are caused by the presence of abnormal blood vessels under the skin.

Pigmented birthmarks (similar to freckles) are also common amongst newborns with a darker skin complexion. Unlike vascular birthmarks, pigmented birthmarks are caused due to presence of a cluster of pigmented cells i.e. melanocytes under the skin.

Experts still haven’t been able to find out how and why birthmarks are caused. Some children have them whereas others don’t. There is no single factor that can be considered as the cause of birthmarks. However, there are lots of theories proposed depending on the type of birthmark.

Birthmark Types

There are several types of birthmarks. We’ll talk about some of the most common types here…

1. Vascular birthmarks

Vascular birthmarks are naturally caused due to presence of an abnormally large number of blood vessels under the skin. These birthmarks are often harmless and tend to disappear naturally within a couple of weeks after birth. However, some types of vascular birthmarks may persist for a couple of years.

2. Pigmented Birthmarks

Pigmented birthmarks are birthmarks caused due to presence of a large number of melanocytes – the pigment cells under the skin. Like vascular birthmarks, pigmented birthmarks are quite harmless and tend to heal naturally after a period of time.

3. Cafe au lait spot

Cafe au lait spot is a type of birthmark that is usually light brown or milky coffee in color. These birthmarks are often oval in shape and present at birth or occur immediately after birth. Most of these birthmarks tend to be persistent and don’t fade.

4. Congenital Melanocytic Nevus

Congenital Melanocytic Nevus is a type of birthmark that commonly occurs in the head and neck (but can occur in other areas too). It is light brown amongst fair-skinned individuals and blackish amongst darker-skinned people.

The shape of these birthmarks is quite irregular. They tend to become smaller as the child grows. Congenital Melanocytic Nevus can also be classified as a form of pigmented birthmarks.

5. Telangeiectatic Nevus

Telangiectatic nevus is a type of birthmark that’s also commonly known as salmon patch or stork mark. It is caused by dilations in the capillaries (the blood vessels). The appearance of these birthmarks is often reddish in color and occurs in patches. In most cases, these birthmarks tend to fade after a couple of years.

6. Port Wine Stain

Port Wine Stain is a type of birthmark that mainly occurs amongst individuals with a fair skin complexion. It consists of red and purple marks that are most commonly visible in the face. The cause of these birthmarks is often abnormal bleeding of blood vessels in the affected area.

Special treatment may be required for new-borns whose port wine stains appear near the eyelid area. Almost 10% of all children that have port wine stain type birthmarks tend to have a mark in their eyelid area which requires immediate treatment.

7. Silvermark

Silvermark is a type of hereditary birthmark that consists of a silver streak of air. It is often found at the place where the hairline and the forehead meet.

8. Mongolian Spots

Mongolian spots are a type of birthmark that consists of blue-gray marks which occur commonly amongst dark sinned individuals. In most cases, they appear over the lower back or the buttocks. They tend to fade naturally after a couple of years.

9. Hemangiomas

Hemangiomas often consist of a red mark that appears small and flat at first. They may grow and become bigger as the child grows. In most cases, their growth slows down and they tend to fade after a couple of years (by the time the child reaches the age of four or five).

Complications of Birthmarks

In most cases, birthmarks are harmless and tend to fade naturally after a couple of years. However, certain types of birthmarks can lead to development of skin cancer in the near future.

For example, the Congenital Melanocytic Nevus birthmarks are known to trigger skin cancer in the future (especially when these birthmarks are quite large).

Birthmarks present near the eyelids are the most dangerous and will require immediate attention. Leaving birthmarks around the eyes untreated may impair the child’s vision and could lead to glaucoma in the future.

Treatment of Birthmarks

Since most birthmarks are harmless and fade naturally, treatment is not required for birthmarks. But birthmarks near the child’s eye or cancerous birthmarks will require immediate attention.

Treatment methods for birthmarks include…

1. Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids are often injected into the birthmark (amongst newborns) or taken orally. They prevent the growth of the birthmarks and help shrink them. Corticosteroids work on many types of birthmarks mainly hemangioma.

2. Interferon Alfa-12

Interferon Alfa-12 is an alternative medication which may be given to the child if the birthmark doesn’t respond to corticosteroids.

3. Laser Therapy

Laser therapy is recommended for birthmarks around the eyes and certain types of stubborn birthmarks such as port wine stains.

4. Surgery

Surgery is used as a last-resort option when none of the other treatment methods work and the birthmark is posing a serious threat to the child’s health.

Melasma Cure

Have you been suffering from Melasma? Are you looking for a simple and effective melasma cure that will make those dark spots vanish from your skin at the earliest? If yes, you’re in the right place.

Melasma is a skin condition that affects plenty of women (mainly those in their 30s and 40s). It’s an extremely embarrassing condition because it affects your beauty. If you can’t stop but feel embarrassed by the melasma spots you have all over your face, don’t worry.

It’s possible to make those spots vanish. There are various treatment methods that you can begin on which can help reduce the spots and make them vanish completely in as little as few weeks.

In some cases, the condition may vanish in just a couple of days too (depending on the intensity of the condition).

Why and how is Melasma caused?

Melasma is a skin condition that occurs naturally when the skin cells begin producing an excess of the brown pigment – Melanin. Melanin is a pigment that imparts color to our skin.

When the pigment is produced in excess, the condition is called Hyper-Pigmentation. There are so many different form of hyper-pigmentation and melasma is one of them.

Treating an illness successfully is only possible when you’re clearly aware of what actually triggered the condition in the first place. With Melasma, research has been unable to find one main cause or trigger for the appearance of the skin condition. However, there seems to be a variety of different factors that trigger hyper-pigmentation.

Here are some of the most common factors that trigger Melasma (i.e. hyper-pigmentation)…

1. Prolonged Sun Exposure

Prolonged exposure to sun will naturally lead to increased production of melanin in skin cells throughout the body. Melasma is a skin condition that is naturally triggered when there is an excess exposure to sunlight. You can easily prevent this by wearing a sunscreen throughout the year.

2. Oral contraceptives and medications

If you take oral contraceptives or medications such as tetracycline, etc, there’s a high chance of melasma being triggered as hyper-pigmentation is a side effect of these contraceptives and drugs.

3. Hormonal Imbalances

Lastly, imbalances in the hormonal levels in the body can cause stress which in turn will lead to increased production of melanin in various skin cells throughout the body.

So if you have conditions such as hypothyroidism or any other kind of hormonal imbalance, there’s a high chance of melasma being triggered.

Melasma Cure

When it comes to curing Melasma, there are broadly two forms of therapy – Internal and External Therapy.

Internal Melasma Cure

Internal therapy involves making changes to your diet and your lifestyle so as to ensure that your body is functioning at optimum levels thereby preventing and eliminating melasma. Even though internal therapy has worked for many people who’ve had Melasma, it hasn’t yet been proven scientifically.

Internal cures for melasma include…

1. Vitamin C Intake

Vitamin C is known to reduce the production of melanin levels in the skin by cooling your body. One of the best ways to increase vitamin C intake in your body is to drink lemon juice daily (multiple times each day).

2. Green Tea

The reason why Green Tea works incredibly well for curing Melasma is due to its high concentration of anti-oxidants. If your Melasma has been triggered by hormonal imbalances caused due to toxins, Green Tea is one of the best drinks you can take.

It flushes out toxins present in your body and brings in essential antioxidants that nourish your skin cells. Have a glass of Green Tea once or twice daily without sugar (honey is a recommended replacement). You’ll see significant improvement in as little as 2 weeks.

External Melasma Cure

External cures for melasma includes application of topical creams, lotions and masks that can attack the external skin layers and inhibit the melanin production in these skin cells thereby making those spots vanish.

Application of topical products has been proven to work scientifically. Results can be seen in as little as two to three weeks for Melasma.

Some external cures for melasma include…

1. Onion Vinegar Mask

Application of onion vinegar masks a couple of times daily for 2 – 3 weeks can help make those melasma spots or any hyper-pigmentation related condition reduce.

Here’s how it’s done…

• Slice up the onion into small pieces
• Soak the onion pieces in vinegar for 1-2 hours
• Apply the onion slices on the spots in your skin.
• It may singe at first but it’s nothing to worry about

2. Lemon Juice Mask

A mask made with a combination of lemon juice, turmeric powder and yogurt can do wonders for your skin. It will not only help make these melasma spots vanish but also whiten your skin and make your skin glow.

Here’s how it’s done…

• Take some powdered turmeric on a plate
• Add a small amount of yogurt and lime juice onto the turmeric powder
• Make the mixture into a paste
• Apply the paste on the affected areas once daily
• Let it dry for 30 – 45 minutes
• Rinse clean

These cures will certainly work for you. In case none of these natural cures for melasma work, we strongly recommend that you give commercial skin whitening creams a try.

Chloasma Treatment

Do you think you’re suffering from chloasma? Would you like to learn about effective chloasma treatment methods?  Chloasma is a skin condition that is characterized by brown spots on the face. It’s caused due to an excessive production of the pigment melanin by the pigment producing cells – melanocytes. Chloasma is also known clinically as Melasma.

If you’re suffering from brown spots on your face (i.e. chloasma) and feel embarrassed by the condition, don’t despair. Fortunately, there are various effective treatment methods for chloasma. That’s what we are going to talk about in detail in this article.

Chloasma Cause

There is no one direct cause for chloasma. Chloasma is caused by a series of various contributing factors. Studies have revealed that genetics could also be a possible cause with 1/3rd of patients reporting that an individual in their family had been affected by chloasma in the past.

Here are some of the most common factors that contribute to chloasma….

1. Exposure to sun

Exposure to sun leads to natural tanning of the skin. This is inevitable. Various other parts of the skin darken too apart from the face. Chloasma due to heavy sun exposure can be prevented by the application of an effective sunscreen daily before stepping out in the sun.

2. Pregnancy

Hormonal imbalances are common amongst pregnant women. Chloasma is known to occur with various women during their pregnancy. Pregnancy-related chloasma tends to fade away naturally a few months right after delivery.

3. Hormonal Imbalances

Hormonal imbalances caused due to a variety of conditions such as intake of oral contraceptive pills, hormone treatments, etc have known to cause chloasma amongst women. Women who experience aging are also known to suffer from chloasma. Hypothyroidism is also known to cause Melasma.

4. Intake of drugs

Phototoxic reactions caused by certain medications or drugs are also known to trigger chloasma. Check yourself to see if you’ve been taking any new medications for an illness. It could be a side-effect of certain medications.

5. Skin irritants

Shaving tends to leave behind various abrasions in the skin. Cells around the areas surrounding the abrasion would naturally begin to produce more melanin during its healing process. This could lead to brown spots.

 

Chloasma Treatment

There are various different treatment methods for Chloasma. The effectiveness of each method depends on the intensity of the hyper-pigmentation and the sensitiveness of the individual’s skin.

1. Oral Medication

Oral Medications are currently being tested for the treatment of chloasma. However, none of these drugs have been proven to work. Your doctor may have one or two recommendations to make.

2. Liquid Nitrogen Therapy

Liquid nitrogen has been found to be effective in the treatment of facial scars and acne. The spots are frozen by the application of liquid nitrogen and removed.

Depending on the intensity of your condition, your doctor may recommend liquid nitrogen therapy for the treatment of chloasma. With liquid nitrogen therapy, spots can be treated and removed in as little as 2 – 3 weeks.

3. Topical Therapy

Tropical therapy is the most common form of treatment for chloasma. It is one of the most effective methods. Application of a cream topically on the affected areas leads to improvement of skin tone in three – four weeks (with most people).

Most topical creams work by inhibiting the enzyme tyronsinase which is responsible for the production of melanin in melanocytes.

Skin Whitening Cream Substances

Here are some of the most common tyronsinase inhibitors found in skin whitening creams and lotions used for treating chloasma…

Hydroquinone – Hydroquinone in concentrations of 2 – 4% is used in various skin whitening lotions and creams for treating chloasma. Hydroquinone makes contact with the epidermis and kills off pigment producing cells i.e. melanocytes.

The most effective commercially available tyronsinase inhibitor is hydroquinone. However, its sales are only regulated with a prescription as long-term use of creams containing hydroquinone is known to cause ochronosis (a skin condition where the skin darkens and becomes thick)

Kojic Acid – Kojic acid is another ingredient that’s known to be effective when it comes to inhibiting the activity of tyronsinase. Even though it has the same irritating effect as Hydroquinone, it’s been tested to be safe.

Gigawhite – Gigawhite is a naturally occurring compound derived from the extracts of various Swiss Alpine Plants. It’s known to not only effectively inhibit the enzyme tyronsinase but also whiten the skin overtime naturally.

Licorice extract – Licorice extract has been used in various skin whitening creams and is known to be an effective side-effect free ingredient that’s capable of inhibiting tyronsinase activity.

Chloasma Treatment Tips

For any of the above mentioned chloasma treatment methods to work effectively, we strongly recommend taking the following measures…

• Discontinuation of hormonal contraceptive pills and other medications that is known to trigger chloasma
• Protect your skin with an effective sun block each time you step out in the sun. If there’s heavy sunlight exposure, it’s recommended that you reapply the sunscreen twice daily.
• Cleanse the skin regularly using a mild cleanser and apply a moisturizer if needed.