Londonsurreyaesthetics

Pigmentation under the arms driving you mad?

You may have inadvertently made it worse using harsh skincare such as glycolic acid. Glycolic acid rapidly hues into your dermis, especially higher concentrations, so can end up making things worse, by creating inflammation.

Gentler pigment stressors such as liquorice root, kojic acid, alpha arbutin are much better. And don’t forget ceramides for skin of colour as your skin is depleted in them. Ceramides will help a lot by decreasing inflammation and building the skin barrier.

Hydroquinone is a prescription only cream to treat pigmentation.

I personally feel you don’t need to be that aggressive with your skin. Hydroquinone can only be used in short bursts and when you stop, often the pigmentation comes back. Therefore I prefer ingredients you can use forever without worrying about irritation and having to stop! To be fair, you shouldn’t be using hydroquinone in its own, and should be using other pigment suppressors alongside anyway.

Why not follow along for more tips and tricks in treating pigmentation

Ceramides are a key ingredient in skincare for skin of colour.

Darker skin types really lack ceramides so they are needed to improve hydration, prevent inflammation and improve skin barrier health, which will help pigmentation, both treatment and prevention.

Even the under arms which are prone to pigment due to friction.

Tranexamic acid for pigmentation treatment is particularly good for more vascular pigmentation such as melasma.

It is generally used in cream form but can be used in tablet form off label. Therefore you would need clinician oversight to use it in tablet form.

A percentage of 3-5% is needed to have an effect generally.

Why not follow along for more tips and tricks in treating pigmentation

Tranexamic acid for pigmentation treatment is particularly good for more vascular pigmentation such as melasma.

It is generally used in cream form but can be used in tablet form off label. Therefore you would need clinician oversight to use it in tablet form.

A percentage of 3-5% is needed to have an effect generally.

Why not follow along for more tips and tricks in treating pigmentation

Pigment suppressing ingredients: Niacinamide.

A good all round ingredient but you don’t need it in very high concentrations, otherwise it can be highly irritating. Many people think they are reactive to niacinamide when using 10%. Research suggests you only need 3-5%. So most people are fine with niacinamide at that concentration.

Pigment suppression takes a village. But Vitamin C is a key ingredient.

However, I would not necessarily recommend l ascorbic acid as it is very strong, unstable and irritating fur a lot of skin types. This is especially the case if you have sensitive skin or black and brown skin. Derivatives are more helpful for you.

Which ingredients suppress Pigmentation?

You need a village of them generally.

Vitamin A also known as retinols, retinoids, retinoic acid etc is an amazing all round ingredient to help to the skin. They are a priority in every skin care routine but they have to be in the right form first your skin to tolerate. Otherwise you will not be able to use them enough to make a difference.

Not only does Vitamin A suppress pigment, it helps with lines, wrinkles, immune function, cell turnover, oil regulation whether you have dry or oily skin, photo protection and more!

Follow along for more pigment suppression ingredients ❤️

Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is such a common issue and one that takes careful management.

Finding your triggers are key. Any inflammation can trigger but if your melanocytes are more active, such as in darker skin, they are more easily triggered.

Aggressive exfoliation is be of the most common mistakes I see resulting in PIH.

Follow along for more types of pigmentation and treatments.

Melasma is the most chronic and difficult pigmentation to treat.

It lays deeper in the skin and is referred very easily.

Hormones are a key trigger and a lot of people get it during pregnancy. Heat is another trigger.

Generally it is an inflammatory and vascular visitation. You can’t test aggressively if you will regret it!