Causes of Hyperpigmentation

To understand what’s behind hyperpigmentation (a fancy way to describe skin discoloration) you first need a crash course in melanin. Simply put, melanin is skin pigment, the substance that gives your skin its color. Dark-skinned people have more melanin than light-skinned people. Melanin, which is produced by cells called melanocytes, is also your body’s natural sunscreen, protecting the skin from ultraviolet light. Now, while it’s not always easy — or even possible — to pinpoint the specific cause of all hyperpigmentation (pigmentation disorders), there are a couple of pretty likely culprits.

Sun Exposure
Suspect number one: the sun! You can’t feel it happening, but ultraviolet rays stimulate melanocytes to produce more melanin. As more melanin is produced, the skin gets darker (hence, you get tan). Hyperpigmentation occurs when the body produces too much melanin, causing dark spots and patches to pop up or making existing freckles and age spots look even more pronounced.

Minimizing the chances and effects of hyperpigmentation means practicing smart sun safety: Limit the time you spend in the sun, wear protective clothing, including a wide-brim hat and sunglasses, and use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 (though 30 or higher will offer better protection) year-round.

Inflammation
Another common cause of hyperpigmentation is inflammation, which typically occurs when skin is injured by a cut, scrape, burn, or chemical exposure or by acne, eczema, or psoriasis. It’s not the wound itself that’s the problem but rather what happens during the healing process. As the wound closes, you may experience postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, in which the area around the injury turns dark, like a scar. This discoloration can last for months or years or may even be permanent. Early treatment of the original injury is the best method of prevention, but there are steps you can take later on to try to fade the spot, such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and skin lighteners. Keep in mind that postinflammatory hyperpigmentation is more likely to affect people with darker skin than those with fair skin and that sun exposure will likely make matters worse.

Hormones
Any woman (and some men!) will tell you that hormones can cause all sorts of weird stuff to happen in your body. We’re particularly prone to hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, when taking birth control pills or undergoing hormone therapy, or during certain illnesses. One such hormonally produced phenomenon is melasma, a common pigmentation disorder that typically occurs during pregnancy. Like postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, melasma (also known as the mask of pregnancy) is more likely to affect people with darker skin tones and tends to appear on the cheeks, nose, forehead, chin, and upper lip in brown or grayish-brown patches. Don’t panic if the mask pops up on you — melasma typically disappears after pregnancy (or the discontinuation of birth control pills). If it doesn’t, your dermatologist can treat it with topical steroid creams, skin lighteners, chemical peels, or laser treatments.

Another hormonal-based condition is Addison’s disease, a rare illness that interferes with the adrenal glands’ ability to produce certain hormones; hyperpigmentation is one of its multiple symptoms. Again, this disorder is rare, but do ask your doctor if you’re concerned about changes in your skin color.

Illness and Medication
Hyperpigmentation can also be a symptom of certain autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as metabolic disorders and vitamin deficiencies. Plus, there are a number of medications known to cause hyperpigmentation, including certain hormone treatments, antibiotics, antimalarial drugs, antiseizure drugs, antiarrhythmics, and others. Talk to your doctor about the potential side effects of any drug you take, and be extra careful about sun exposure while taking medication.

Five Daily Skin Habits to Start Now

You may spoil your skin silly with facials, fancy products, and a skin care regimen that would make your dermatologist proud. But there are a few important (and surprisingly simple) steps that can make a huge difference in having healthy, glowing skin. Incorporate these five best skin care habits into your routine and you’ll have smoother, clearer skin in no time.

1. Wear sunblock 365 days of the year
In rain or shine, winter or summer, whether you have ivory white skin or a dark complexion, your skin is always susceptible to sun damage. “You’re consistently exposed to the sun’s rays during daylight hours, even when you don’t realize it,” warns Jeanine Downie, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and director of Image Dermatology in Montclair, New Jersey. “You should be wearing an SPF 30 every day, not only to protect against skin cancer but to prevent fine lines, wrinkles, large pores, and uneven skin tone.” In addition, it’s essential that you reapply your sunscreen every couple of hours, especially if you’re out and about — one morning slathering of SPF 100 won’t last you until sundown!

2. Refrigerate your eye cream
You can get more bang from your eye cream simply by storing it in the icebox. “The cold constricts the blood vessels, immediately reducing puffiness,” explains Manhattan-based dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D. “It’s best to apply cold eye cream in the morning; at night, the product can migrate into your eyes and create swelling and irritation.” Look for creams containing caffeine, which will further decrease any swelling. To combat fine lines and wrinkles, products that contain peptides or retinol will do the trick.

3. Add antioxidants to your skin care and your diet
Here’s a two-point plan to rid your skin of environmental pollutants: Attack the problem from the inside and out. Use topical products containing vitamin A (in the form of retinol), vitamin E, vitamin C, and coffeeberry directly on your skin, and eat brightly colored fruits, vegetables, and other good-for-you foods like blueberries, pomegranates, and olive oil. “Both will help to combat free radical damage, reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and inflammation,” says Jessica Wu, M.D., a Los Angeles–based dermatologist and the author of Feed Your Face. She also recommends eating a balanced breakfast that combines protein, fiber, and healthy fats to regulate blood sugar throughout the day. Studies have shown that when blood sugar rises too quickly, it can cause acne, wrinkles, and rashes.

4. Lightly exfoliate regularly
While you might think anti-aging creams and high-end moisturizers are the key to youthful skin, experts agree that exfoliation is one of the best ways to achieve and maintain a gorgeous complexion. “A good exfoliating agent will slough off the dull top layers, minimizing wrinkles, acne, and dry spots to reveal new, healthy, glowing skin,” explains Fusco. Of course, if you have a sensitive or acne-prone complexion, you don’t want to use a harsh scrub too often. Instead, try a cleanser that contains smooth microbeads just two or three times a week. An even gentler solution for every day: Use a textured cleansing pad, which will very lightly scrub the skin without irritation.

5. Exercise often
Sure, you know you should be hitting the gym, not only for a toned physique but because it’s better for your overall health. Well, here’s another reason to work up a sweat: Exercise tightens the skin on your entire body. “Strength training and cardio boost circulation and improve muscle tone, which results in younger-looking, toned skin,” Downie says. “Not only that, but it also reduces wrinkle-causing, skin-damaging stress.” Just make sure to wash your face post-workout. What good is a hot body if you’ve got clogged pores all over your T-zone?

Clear Away Dark Circles Within The Eyes With These Home Made Remedies

Do you must remove dark bags under your vision? It tends to make your circulatory system stronger to make certain that hemoglobin does in no way leak easily. Shut the eye area and handle the attention lids using an important slender portion for as much as twenty eliminar ojeras possibly even minutes. It is very best way to reduce the look and feel of dark bags under your big eyes. What’s more , improves the stiffness and suppleness on the skin under a eyes, greatly reducing facial lines.

The only known method to eliminate wrinkles is making use of the formulas that include Cynergy TK, and Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10. Not only this, to my delight, this company who definitely seems to be leader in organic skin care development, has an excellent distinct natural multi-nutrient goods. You don’t have better combination of components you are going to ever use. Eyeliss and also Haloxyl are a couple of beneficial ingredients. Almond is rather good skin food and allows you to remove dark communities.

Removing the actual eyes under your Dark Circles is almost always to eliminate firm, bags and facial lines, the formulas to utilize Eyeliss, Haloxyl, Cynergy, Nano and H-EQ10 Lipobelle TK.? If you want to know please realize Could not mention the identity here but I could refer you to where it truly is. Ones goal should at present be studying this data many innovative products because of their skin. Sleep for not less than eight hours 24 hours to keep your dark circles from increasing. And when you attain which, you’ll look a lot younger, fresher, and prettier. What include the top 10 eye cream that are available and why should you apply eye solution. When so you see that change in your mirror you’ll find a very wide smile encountered your face.

New You are able to Times, “Putting ‘You Glance Tired’ to Majority, ” (accessed March 23, 2010). Usually take ice freezing slices on face, this helps to lower puffiness and thus to lower eyes dark encircles. This is a number of enzymes and zinc in addition to copper protein things that literally get considerably more production of collagen in addition to elastin molecules. If your dark circle is merely under one perspective, injury is really the ojeras remedios caseros cause. Dark circles because of genetics, sun exposure, aging, allergies, dehydration, poor nutrition together with lifestyles all hold the same effect of earning a person search tired and older. You will find relief in use of methods such because cold packs with a bag of wintry teaspoons, a bag in frozen vegetables or possibly a cold compress, as this helps reduce the dilation of this pupil-blood cells.

Not solely will getting adequate sleep improve a person’s complexion, blood circulation together with reduce any eyes puffing, getting enough sleep may even help your human body in functioning the right way. That’s why others have retorted so that you can drastic measures along the lines of surgery and injections about the eyes area. For a lot of us this could Dim Circles under eyes be the current inherited quitar ojeras mark. It makes your epidermis here a bit thicker along with removes the gained haemoglobin, which helps with regard to making the skin more compact. Eat environment friendly and leafy veggies like cabbage and spinach.

Guest post by Talsma P. Oechsle Papik

How to Increase Melanin Production

Melanin is a type of pigment produced by your skin that gives it color. The darker your skin, the more melanin that is present. If you have a skin condition that causes you to be losing skin color or you simply are tired of being pale, you may want to know how to increase melanin production. As you learn more about your skin and melanin, you may find many different methods people have tried. Although spending time in the sun is one way to help your body increase its production of melanin, it also is one of the more dangerous ways.

1. Change your diet. Certain foods help your body boost melanin production. Fish, eggs, and apricots are among the foods to start integrating into your diet if you want your body to produce more melanin. Coffee and chocolate also can boost melanin, but you may want to increase your intake of each of these on a more moderate level.
2. Take B vitamins. Look for B-complex vitamins at your local health food store or drugstore. Only take the recommended amounts or ask your doctor about the levels you should take in order to boost melanin production.
3. Take L-tyrosine supplements. L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that can help boost melanin levels. As with B vitamins, ask your doctor about dosage levels for you.
4. Try Gingko biloba supplements. Among its other uses, Gingko biloba can help with melanin levels. Take the dosage recommended by your doctor.
5. Talk to your dermatologist about topical treatments or creams that may be able to help you. Your dermatologist is uniquely qualified to teach you how to increase melanin production since his specialty is skin care and conditions. Your dermatologist may recommend over-the-counter treatments, such as corticosteroid creams, or he may prescribe pharmaceutical treatments. Some of these treatments can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and therefore more open to burning, so be sure to talk with him about protecting your skin during treatment.