A Comprehensive Guide to Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation causes patches of skin to become darker than the surrounding skin. It occurs when the skin produces excess melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. It can affect any skin type and is more likely during pregnancy, with older age, or after an injury.

Types of hyperpigmentation include:

1. Age spots, also called “liver” spots.
2. Melasma.
3. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Hyperpigmentation is a common skin condition affecting people of all skin types.

Below is a table of the most common types of hyperpigmentation and their symptoms.

TYPES	SYMPTOMS	WHERE ON BODY?	WHO CAN AFFECT?
age spots, also called liver spots or solar lentigines	brown, tan, or black spots that appear on the skin with sun overexposure	commonly on the face and hands or on sun-exposed areas of the body	usually older adults or those with extended sun exposure
melasma, also called chloasma or “the mask of pregnancy”	large patches of darkened skin	often on the forehead, face, and stomach	usually women, people who are pregnant or taking birth control pills, and those with medium to darker skin
post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation	spots or patches of darkened skin that appear after an inflammatory skin condition, such as acne or eczema	anywhere on the body	people who have had inflammation or an injury to the skin

Treatment for hyperpigmentation: –

1. Chemical peels
2. MDA
3. HydraFacial
4. Lasers (Q Switch lasers, pico-sure)

GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF HYPERPIGMENTATION –

Sunscreens –

1.      VRH Silicon Sunscreen

2.      SPF 60 Water resistant sunscreens.

3.      Glowcutis sunscreens SPF 50

4.      Coshield low end sunscreen

5.      Sunscreens ultra light aqua gel

6.      Pacishield sunscreen SPF 50

7.      Clear zinc tinted sunscreen

8.  Cosmosef SPF 60 Sunscreens.

Moisturizer –

1.      Glowcutis moisturizing lotion

2.      VRH multivitamin moist

3.      Hydra Q

4.      Pacific oil free moisturizer

5.      Glowcutis oil based moisturizer

6.      Skin lightening gel

7.      Moisera moist

8.      microbiota moist

9.      Selfyskin ( anti-inflammatory gel)

Serums –

1.      Glowcutis vit c face serums

2.      VRH vitamin c serum 20

3.      HQ4 multiaction skin lightening serum

4.      HQ 2 multi action skin lightening gel

5.      VRH skin lightening gel

6.      Cosderma Clear skin serums

7.      Cosderma brightening serums

8.      Cosderma vit c 20% serums

Facewash –

1.      Moduseb foaming facewash

2.      Curalite facewash

3.      Vit c cleanser

4.      Cosderma lightening facewash

5.      Cosderma hydrating facewash

6.       EXNE Facewash.