What is pigmentation?
Pigmentation is the skin's natural way of producing melatonin to protect itself. The pigment is able to dissipate over 99.9% of absorbed UV radiation, therefore protecting cells from UVB radiation damage, reducing the risk of cancer.
Why do we suddenly discover patches on our skin?
These patches are called pigmentation which usually appears in your 30s or 40s. It can be due to the following:-
- genetics
- sun exposure
- stress
- fluctuating hormones caused by pregnancy and or birth control pills, menopause
- insulin resistance
- damage to skin due to injury
- overly aggressive skin care treatment or frequent use of hair dyes.
Freckles is genetic, but sun damage can cause excessive and uneven freckles.
Pigmentation don't appear overnight. It usually is an accumulation of sun damage, or health problems, or injuries or inappropriate skincare treatments over many years. Normally, it takes 10-20years of accumulation of pigments before it is very visible.
How to prevent pigmentation?
- Always use a sunblock on your face and neck from the time you wash up, even though you may be at home. Start as young as from 8 years old.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water/juices per day excluding tea and coffee.
- Have a healthy lifestyle. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, avoid fried foods.
Can laser treatments keep pigmentation from appearing?
Actually this only temporarily gets rid of the pigmentation. Everytime, a laser treatment is performed, skin is actually artificially burnt by the laser beam. Although on the surface, the skin seems to recover when the outer layer of the skin peels off, actually more harm was being done to the basal layer of the skin. And artificially burning your skin this way causes internal inflammation to occur. When done continuously, many times, skin gets thinner and thinner and becomes more sensitive. And one day, the skin will become so sensitive that laser treatment can no longer be performed on your skin to get rid of the pigmentation. Relying on this type of treatment, eventually brings more problems to your skin. Eg. skin redness, dryness and super sensitive skin arise due to these accumulated, continuous laser treatments. So friends, do you want to increase your skin problems by subjecting your skin to this type of treatments?
If laser treatment is not recommended, what is the long term solution?
- Choose a good skin radiance product from a good company that continuously does R&D with breakthrough every few years.
- Beware of companies that uses ingredients with high percentage of acids(7%) as these tends to make your skin very dry and sometimes may over peel your skin, leaving it red and sensitive. Do not rely on AHA product for long term. AHA is only good for temporary radiant skin. Prolong AHA use many years, only increases skin's sensitivity and dryness and eventually skin will lose its radiance when it is too dry. And dry skin brings on fine lines and wrinkles.
- Beware of companies that uses chemical ingredients that can 'whiten' face in a short span of 2months. 'Whitening' products usually uses bleaching chemicals and these ingredients are very effective but not safe(chemicals that clinically proven to cause cancer over long term use). I am sure, we do not want to look fair and white and have terminal disease because of that.
- Currently, 'whitening' products are not in the trend anymore as the top 5 skincare companies in the world have researched breakthrough ingredients in products that brightens skin and not just whiten skin. These top 5 prestige skincare companies are Artistry, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Clinique and Chanel.
