It’s one of the most common conditions around, affecting countless people across the world, regardless of age, race or gender.

When the special cells in your skin become damaged or unhealthy, they affect the production of melanin, the pigment from which your skin gets its brown colour.

But to adequately tackle these pigmentation deformations means identifying the cause. The problem? There’s more than one, and treating it depends solely on the person affected.

For many, skin conditions affect confidence and self-esteem. The battle to cover it up is exhausting. leaving most patients desperate for a solution.

To help you, the professionals at Renewal Institute have identified the different types of pigmentation one can get, as well as the causes and possible treatment options:

Postinflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)

This type of pigmentation occurs due to injury or inflammation. For example, if you suffered from acne in the past you’re often left with brown spots where there used to be acne lesions. This is due to squeezing, picking and the inflammatory nature of the acne lesions.

Treatment Options:
Chemical peels, Limelight, Laser Genesis, Microdermabrasion and Transdermal Mesotherapy.

Sun Damage and Sun Spots

Repeated sun exposure causes this type of pigmentation – the older we get, the more the sun damage from our youth rises to the surface. You can, however, also get pigmentation from just one bad case of sunburn.

Treatment Options:
Fraxel DUAL, Pearl Fusion, chemical peels, Limelight, Laser Genesis, carboxytherapy, microdermabrasion and Transdermal Mesotherapy.

Hormonal Pigmentation (Melasma)

Melasma is one of the most difficult types of pigmentation to treat, as it has multiple internal and external triggers, including hormones, leaky gut syndrome, uncontrolled inflammation in the body, etc. Unfortunately, it’s like a disease that you will have to manage and maintain for the rest of your life, as the chances of reccurrence are high if not managed correctly.

Treatment Options:
Cosmelan and Dermamelan and non-inflammatory treatments like Mesotherapy slowly and systematically target the pigmented areas.

Hypopigmentation

Hypopigmentation is when an area/s of the skin starts to lose pigment, and you’re left with white patches or spots. Again, it’s very difficult to treat as it can have multiple causes, including injury, severe sun damage, scarring and certain diseases.

In some cases, especially when related to diseases that completely destroy the pigment producing cells (melanocytes), hypopigmentation is completely irreversible.

Before you go assuming the problem and trying to solve it yourself, consult a Skin Renewal professional. They will be able to help to identify which pigmentation you have and assist you in choosing the best treatment for it.

May beautiful skin be upon you all.