How to Prevent Hyperpigmentation on Face and Neck

How to Prevent Hyperpigmentation of the Skin

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

When your skin cells are healthy, they produce the correct amount of melanin to maintain the pigmentation or coloring. However, skin pigmentation disorders like hyperpigmentation occur when skin cells become unhealthy or damaged. With hyperpigmentation, areas of your skin become darker. Hyperpigmentation can develop on your face or your entire body. Although hyperpigmentation is not a serious medical condition, it is still important to avoid.

 

Steps

1. Understand the types of hyperpigmentation.
   • Lentigines, also called age spots or liver spots, are darkened areas of the skin. The spots are generally found on parts of your body exposed to the sun such as your face and hands.
   • Melasma, or chloasma, are darkened spots on the skin. The areas are typically darker and larger than other forms of hyperpigmentation.
2. Know the causes of hyperpigmentation.
   • Hyperpigmentation occurs due to an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays.
   • Focal hyperpigmentation occurs after your skin is injured, burned or cut. It is also a post-inflammatory reaction to conditions such as lupus or acne.
   • Certain medications, such as cancer chemotherapy drugs, antimalarials and amiodarone, cause drug-induced hyperpigmentation.
   • Focal linear hyperpigmentation occurs because of phytophotodermatitis. Phytophtodermatitis is caused by exposure to ultraviolet light with the combination of furocoumarins (found in celery and limes).
   • Heavy metals like gold, silver, bismuth and mercury cause hyperpigmentation when the materials come in contact with the skin.
   • In women, hyperpigmentation occurs due to birth control usage or during pregnancy.
3. Protect your skin.
   • Use sun protection factor (SPF) of approximately 30. You need to wear SPF every day, regardless of the season or weather conditions like a cloudy day. SPF, which contains ingredients like titanium dioxide, stops the UV rays from penetrating your skin.
   • Wear hats that protect your face, neck and ears from the sun.
   • Avoid the sun during the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is when the sun is typically the brightest.
   • Don't wear heavy metals if they cause dark spots on your skin.
   • Before taking medication, ask the pharmacist if it causes hyperpigmentation and what can be done to prevent it.
   • Some types of hyperpigmentation, like melasma, develop if you have a family history of the condition.
   • Hyperpigmentation may fade after pregnant women give birth.

Tips

• Treatment for hyperpigmentation includes prescription creams and over-the-counter medications that contain hydroquinone. Bleaches are also used to try to lighten or fade the dark patches.

Warnings

• Although hydroquinone helps treat hyperpigmentation, it may also cause it. Bluish black hyperpigmentation discoloration may develop on your face and the top of your ears. Typically, the dark spots develop over time and after years of hydroquinone use.

Sources and Citations

• http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec10/ch123/ch123d.html
• http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/hyperpigmentation.html
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinpigmentationdisorders.html
• http://www.medicinenet.com/melasma/page6.htm

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Prevent Hyperpigmentation of the Skin. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.