Dark spots: What a dermatologist wants you to know about hyperpigmentationThat dark spot. You didn’t notice it setting up camp on your cheek and it certainly wasn’t invited. And now you can’t help but focus on it; every single time you look in the mirror.That’s the most bothersome thing about post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation – when cells overproduce melanin , resulting in an area of darkening.
The most common trigger is UV damage, which can result in a few dark spots on the face or hands, or the brown/greyish patches of melasma when there’s also a hormonal influence that can take up large areas of the face. ‘There are two theories as to why this happens,’ says Dr Rattan. ‘When we’re pregnant, oestrogen levels increase, which sensitises the melanocytes to UV radiation. We’re also more prone to inflammation.
Avoid over-exfoliation . ‘You’re taking off a layer of dead keratinocytes and a protective layer of skin and hence UV protection,’ explains Dr Rattan.On which note, professional lasers and peels can be effective on caucasian skin but less soon dark skin, cautions dermatologist Dr Thiviyani Maruthappu: both can worsen the condition they’re aiming to treat by triggering further inflammation. One treatment that can work in the right hands is the Q-switched Nd: YAG 1,064 nm wavelength laser.