Monday 30 June 2014

Home Remedies For Fading Hyperpigmentation

Does hyperpigmentation bothers you a lot? If you want to save some money, home remedies may be your best route. Not all home remedies work. But through trial and error you will find one that is effective in reducing dark spots. Here are some effective remedies that you can try at home.


Orange Peel


Take two or more oranges and peel them. Sundry the peels and when they are fully dried, grind them to make a powder. Adding some milk to the powder you will make a paste. Apply the paste over your skin and leave it there around 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.



Mint


Make some fresh mint leaves and grind them using a mortar and pestle. Apply the paste over the area you want to lighten and leave it there for around twenty minutes. Rinse with cold water. If you do this twice a day you can see results in two weeks.




Lemon Juice


Lemon is a natural fruit acid that will exfoliate the skin removing the layers that have discoloration. Cut a lemon in half and rub it over the area you want to lighten. You must repeat the process twice a week for several months.

Never expose your skin to the sun after using lemon juice. It is photosynthetic in nature and will make your problem worst.



Buttermilk


Buttermilk lightens the skin because it contains lactic acid. The effect it has on the skin is similar to lemon juice, it exfoliates the skin, making the skin lighter. Using a cotton ball apply buttermilk over the area you want to treat. Wait fifteen minutes and then rinse it.


It is easy to prepare these home remedies. You should see results if your hyperpigmentation is mild.

Though you may save money but you need time and effort to prepare these remedies every day. Personally, I prefer to use a natural skin lightening cream. It is always ready to use and makes my life easier. I don't have to worry about the consistency so I'm confident I will always get the same results. If you like my idea, check out how to choose the best cream to lighten dark spots on the skin. I know it will not cause any side effects as it contains only natural ingredients.

Monday 20 January 2014

Excess Melanin May Benefit You

People are obessed with lighter skin tone that they even think that diet can help to reduce hyperpigmentation. I found a post at Can Foods Effect Our Skin Tone And Levels Of Melanin?

'Certain foods contain more amounts of tyrosine than others such as soy protein, Egg, Cheese, Fish and Turkey to name a few. So by reducing the intake of these foods we could in theory lower the production of melanin.'

In theory, it sounds sensible. But there is no evidence to indicate that it will work.

Don't let dark spots bring your spirit down. The good news is that if you have more melanin that usual, you are less prone to post traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Don't believe it? Read this - study reveals high melanin individuals are more immune to ptsd.

Saturday 18 January 2014

Best Treatment For Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation can arise due to either overactive melanocytes, the melanin-producing cells or a rapid multiplication of the melanocytes. The good news is that it does not pose any health risk. However, it can lead to depression and anxiety especially if your face is adorned with pigmentation. To fade those pesky marks effectively, you need to seek the best treatment for hyperpigmentation.

Hydroquinone is the gold standard for hyperpigmentation because its application has spanned over 50 years. In addition, it is the only skin lightening ingredient with the endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Yet, one third of the population tends to react adversely with hydroquinone. Some have been reported to develop serious contact dermatitis.

When used in high concentration or for too long, it may pose serious health risk. For example, your skin will tend to be more sensitive to the sun if you use it for an extended period. Your skin may develop ochronosis which is another form of permanent skin discoloration.

According to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology, hydroquinone is a potent cytotoxic agent. This means, your DNA will undergo mutations and alterations. The author advises avoiding any product that leaves hydroquinone on the skin. Rather, choose rinse-off products with concentration of not exceeding 1% as they are deemed to be safer. In reality, the concentration of most of the hyperpigmentation creams sold over-the-counter is 2%. With that said, it is not a surprise to expect the banning of hydroquinone in some countries.

Besides hydroquinone, dermatologists use ablative treatments such as laser, dermabrasion, and medium-to-deep chemical peels to treat pigmentation disorders. But these therapies can trigger hyperpigmentation and increase more brown marks on your skin if the procedure go sideways.

If you want to treat pigmentation, first you need to understand how your skin makes melanin. The melanin production or melanogenesis begins in melanocytes. One of the critical steps in producing melanin requires an enzyme called tyrosinase. Thus, you can see that most ingredients in skin lightening products are used to interrupt this step in the melanin synthesis.

To keep the pigmentation under control, applying sunscreen religiously is the best approach provided that your hyperpigmentation is caused by sun exposure.

For the existing hyperpigmentation, studies have demonstrated that it is more effective to regulate tyrosinase, which can delay the melanin production. Tyrosinase regulation can be attained by interrupting its process or taking away L-DOPA, a substance on which tyrosinase acts.
  • Tyrosinase inhibitors such as alpha arbutin, mulberry extract, licorice extract, kojic acid, and emblica extract have shown promising results in the studies. These plant extracts can keep the tyrosinase activity in check and compete with tyrosinase’s substrate.
  • Inflammation management is another effective way to control hyperpigmentation. Natural anti-inflammatory agents such as mulberry and licorice can reduce inflammation, which in turn fade dark spots. These agents may have antioxidating functions that retard various oxidation steps in the process of melanin.
  • Niacinamide has been studied to reduce the melanin production. It can prevent the transfer of melanosomes to adjacent keratinocytes.
  • For many years, vitamin C has been used to control melanogenis. It hinders the tyrosinase activity. As an antioxidant, it limits the oxidation steps during the melanin synthesis and neutralizes free radicals that are responsible for abnormal melanocyte activity.

As melanocytes are far away from the epidermis, whatever hyperpigmentation cream you use must be able to deliver the active ingredients deep into the skin. Thus, the effectiveness of a skin lightening cream depends a lot on its delivery mode.

The best hyperpigmentation cream should contain botanical extracts with the ability to control tyrosinase activity.

Meladerm is one product that fits into these criteria. It reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation with a combination of antioxidants, natural lightening agents, and potent exfoliating acids. It contains 10 natural lightening agents where most of them are mentioned earlier. Furthermore, it includes glycolic acid and lactic acid to maximize the skin's absorption of the active ingredients for best results.

This hydroquinone-free skin lightening cream targets various types of hyperpigmentation. They can be sun damage, age spots (liver or sun spots), dark spots, melasma, acne marks, uneven skin tone and freckles. It works on all skin types.

It is imperative that you always wear a high SPF sunscreen whenever your skin is exposed to the sun. 

The key to treating hyperpigmentation with Meladerm is the consistency and the duration. Before you can see any result, you must apply it on your hyperpigmented skin every day for a minimum of 2 months. Even when the tyrosinase activity has been confined altogether, the existing melanin will still require approximately 45 days to clear.

Read the following Meladerm reviews by Amazon customer.

Thursday 16 January 2014

Best Cream For Age Spots

Which signs of aging really trouble you the most? Maybe you would say wrinkles. It is true however, research shows that age spots can top up actual age by 10 years. No wonder, the market is flooded with wildly-claimed best age spot creams.


Age spots or liver spots are a form of hyperpigmentation. They usually appear on your face and hand as small dark marks. You can blame these patches on the years lying on the beach. They are triggered by prolonged sun exposure which throws melanocytes, melanin-producing cells into overdrive. When the excess brown pigments cannot distribute evenly over the skin, they gather together to form clusters, which look like brown spots.

Many people believe that there is nothing they can do about the marks. So they do not seek remedies.

Yet, you can find treatments today. Consult your dermatologist and you will be offered a few options. Among them are high strength hydroquinone (limited to 3 months usage) and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy which requires several sessions, proving to be expensive. Unfortunately, sun spot is not easily treated, and there are potential side effects that may worsen those marks.

Although hydroquinone is the gold standard for hyperpigmentation treatment, but you may have to deal with irritation. The FDA has restricted the continuous use of hydroquinone by imposing a 3 month safety limit. Studies also reveal that hydroquinone is linked to toxicity. Thus, some countries have already banned skin care products that use this chemical.

With the advanced technology in natural skin care, you can opt for botanical extracts that are as effective as hydroquinone, and more gentle to your skin. Kojic acid, mulberry extract, alpha-arbutin, emblica extract, licorice extract, vitamin C, and vitamin B3 (niacinamide) are some non-irritating ingredients commonly found in skin lightening products.

For best results on fading liver spots, don't focus on a single ingredient. Rather, choose a combination of two or more as each ingredient has its own way to stopping the pigmentation.

The best cream for age spots is Meladerm. It contains clinical proven ingredients that reduce age spots. It is not meant to make your overall complexion look fairer. You should only use it on the spots, and not the whole face or body.

Meladerm can tackle all kinds of hyperpigmentation. Apart of reducing the appearance of age spots, this dark spot corrector can work on melasma, freckles, acne marks, sun damage skin, birthmarks, and uneven skin tone. If you have dark elbows, knees, underarms, or knuckles, it can help as well.

Combining 3 powerhouse ingredients, Alpha Arbutin, Gigawhite, and Tego Cosmo C, along with 7 other high-strength lightening agents, Meladerm can block melanocytes from producing melanin, treating existing spots and prevent new ones too.

The Civant Skincare also includes glycolic acid and lactic acid to target pigmentation disorders. These natural acids speed up cell turnover by shedding the topmost layer of the skin that holds dead cell. This helps brighten your skin. They also stop the spots from becoming mature.

Another plus point of exfoliating is to prepare your skin to better absorb the active ingredients. This way, Meladerm can give you better results.

After using Meladerm, make sure you use broad-spectrum sunscreen every day. Failing to do so will increase the chances for the age spots to return. It makes no difference which treatment you use. Continuous rigorous use of sunblock is mandatory.

Find out what other reviewers say about Meladerm in removing their age spots.

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Hyperpigmentation Cream

What comes to your mind when you think of hyperpigmentation? It is also known as liver or age spots. It is a form of skin defect that make your skin tone uneven. Usually it appears as brown patches.

Usually when a friend asks me about treating hyperpigmentation, I would like to know what type is it. Is it melasma where mostly occur during pregnancy? My wife had melasma on her cheek when she was pregnant. Looking for a safe remedy is not easy as the options are limited. So, my wife use a very good sunscreen and use concealer to hide those pesky spots.


If your pigmentation problem is caused by sun damage or skin aging, you have better luck as you have a wider choice of treatment to choose from.

I admit that some of my wife's friends have seen improvement after a laser therapy. But this is not something you want to do if you have melasma.

The bad news is that laser is not for everybody. Sometimes it work. However, most people can't afford to fork out so much money for repeated sessions of laser treatment.

On the other hand, the over-the-counter hyperpigmentation creams have proved to be effective in recent years. The rule is to use the cream consistently. The improvement will not be noticed until you have used it for at least two months. Thus, many people stop using it after a few weeks and complain that the cream does not work.

Even after applying the cream, you should not forget to use sunscreen. Otherwise, the hyperpigmentation will return even it has already faded in the first place.

Here are some OTC age spot removal creams that may work for you. Apply it on your spots twice a day. Do this every day for 3 months. But these following creams are not cheap.

  1. Elizabeth Arden Prevage Clarity Targeted Skin Tone Corrector. The most expensive of all. But you can see significant improvement with sun spots.
  2. StriVectin EV Get Even Brightening Serum. The price tag is second to  Elizabeth Arden serum. However, the price is worth it as it repairs scar tissue so your skin will look better.
  3. Philosophy Miracle Worker Dark Spot Corrector. Beside fading dark spots, it works on acne scars as well.
  4. Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector. It is claimed to even your skin by up to 53% in 12 weeks.
  5. Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective. Not only it reduces the appearance of age spots, but it also leaves your skin soft and bright.
  6. Indeed Labs Peptabright. More for moderate dark spots. Make your skin brighter, softer and more even.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Best Cream For Dark Spots

Perhaps you are not fortunate enough to be born with flawless skin. I guess at some point in your life you are struggling with dark spots, age spots, liver spots, freckles, melasma, or sun spots. Whatever its name is, they are all under the same class. They are the result of accumulation of excess melanin that distributes over your skin. Usually it happens after your skin is exposed to UV rays.

It is a pain for anyone to deal with dark spots. You may need dermatological procedures for more serious pigmentation problems. But not every skin discoloration is serious enough for conventional therapies.

Why do you want to get rid of dark spots? If you have these marks, your age will be added by 10 years. So, probably, they make you look older. Besides, they also make less attractive, damaging your self-esteem.

Now if you are looking for the best cream for dark spots, it is the ingredient that matters. Find the right ingredients that work effectively for your skin type and your dark spots.

Let's look at the ingredients found in the best dark spot correctors and see how they can reverse all the damage that caused by your sun worshiping.

Basically there are 3 categories of ingredients used in skin lightening creams.

  1. Antioxidants
  2. Exfoliating acids
  3. Lightening agents

Antioxidants 


Vitamin C, an antioxidant, is a classic ingredient that can lighten existing brown spots. Furthermore, it can prevent new spots. It also protects your skin against harmful free radicals and improves the production of collagen for a more younger looking skin. 

Exfoliating Acids 


Although exfoliating acids like alpha hydroxy and glycolic don't target pigments directly, but they can give your skin even tone by sloughing off pigmented cells found on the surface of your skin. They can accelerate the removal of dead cells, making your skin more receptive. This increases the absorption of lightening ingredients so you should see better improvements. Natural acids also help achieve smoother skin.

Many studies demonstrate the effectiveness of glycolic acid in removing superficial pigmented cells and boosting penetration when used in conjunction with lightening agents. 

Lightening Agents 


If you're looking to banish dark spots, your dermatologist may recommend hydroquinone based products. You probably have heard about the controversy about it. A few developed countries have banned it. Users reported side effects such as burning sensation, excessive redness, and dryness when using hydroquinone.

Just like hydroquinone, natural lightening agents can stop hyperpigmentation before it starts. Powerhouse lighteners such as mulberry, bearberry, licorice, vitamin B3 (niacinamide), vitamin C, emblica extract, mulberry extract, bearberry extract, and kojic acid are believed to fade dark marks that have accumulated over the years and prevent new ones from appearing. Alpha Arbutin, Gigawhite, and Tego Cosmo C can give hydroquinone some serious competition. They inhibit tyrosinase, the enzyme that turns on the melanin-production switch. This prevents further spots from developing. Also, they shut down melanocytes, the cells that make melanin.

Here are some top over-the-counter dark spot creams on the market today.

  • Priori Even Tones, $125 (licorice extract, mulberry extract, vitamin C, lactic acid, and retinol). If you are pregnant, you should stay away from retinol as it may cause birth defects.
  • SkinCeuticals Pigment Regulator, $85 (emblica extract, kojic acid, and glycolic acid).
  • First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Serum, $44 (licorice root and vitamin C)
  • L'OrĂ©al Paris Youth Code Dark Spot Correcting & Illuminating Serum Corrector, $24.99 (niacinamide and vitamin C).

But they are still not the best when it comes to cost effectiveness and contents. Meladerm is packed with a cocktail of all the lightening ingredients mentioned above. Instead of getting a few dark spot correctors to enjoy the best results, why not get all the ingredients in one bottle? Not only you save the hassle of applying different lotions and serums, which takes more time, but you also save money. Imagine taking advantage of all the lightening agents, antioxidants, and exfoliating acids in one tube which does not cost you arms and legs. In other words, Meladerm is the best product for dark spots.

Meladerm slows melanin production so you can achieve even skin tone and flawless complexion. It is even gentle on sensitive skin. If your dark spot is severe, you probably need a few bottles before you see significant results. But it is worth waiting without worrying about the side effects.

Just don't forget to adopt broad-spectrum sun protection. Even if the hyperpigmentation is cleared, the UV rays can trigger melanin production, undoing Meladerm's results.

Find out what other reviewers say about Meladerm in fading their dark spots.

Best Treatment For Melasma

Melasma or "mask of pregnancy" is common among women of child bearing age or using birth control pills. If your origin is of an ethnic, your chances of having melasma are higher. Usually, it appears on the face, arms, and neck in the form of large brownish patches. This can hurt your self-esteem. You are here because you want the best treatment for melasma.

Though you can't cure melasma with medications but there are remedies that you can consult your dermatologist to fade its appearances.
 

Common Treatments For Melasma


If you visit a dermatologist, usually a triple topical therapy will be recommended. It consists of hydroquinone, tretinoin, and steroid cream. The strength of hydroquinone in this therapy can be as high as 8%. However, hydroquinone when used in higher concentration (above 4%) or too long may increase the risk of ochronosis, an irreversible skin discoloration.

Sometimes, after being treated with triple topical therapy, you don't see any improvement. Your dermatologist may recommend non-ablative fractional lasers (such as Fraxel), which is an FDA approved treatment for melasma. Unfortunately, the relapse of melasma is very high. And sometimes, your mask can get worse. Furthermore, you need a series of 5 or more sessions as the result takes time. And it is not a suitable choice if your skin tone is dark.

You may even want to consider chemical peels which uses alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid. Some believe it can remove the excess pigments from the skin. But most dermatologists would recommend it as a maintenance therapy as the recurrence rate of melasma is high.
 

What Is The Best Melasma Treatment


The standard remedies may not be effective. Treating melasma for best results require a combination approach. A single approach may not sustain the result for long. Here is a three-fold strategy to get rid of melasma.
  1. Check the hormonal factors.
  2. Practice good UV protection to lower the relapse of melanin and to prevent it from getting worse.
  3. Reduce the melanin production.

For hormonal factors, it would be ideal to stop using estrogen based products or birth control pills. The mask of pregnancy can be resistant to treatment if you continue using birth control pills.

As far as sun protection is concerned, always wear a wide brimmed hat, UV protective clothing, and sunglasses. Don't skip applying sunscreen whenever you go out. Even the weather is cloudy, you must wear sunscreen as the UV factor is present.

Choose a broad spectrum sunblock that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. This offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays. The SPF should be at least 30. So, this is what you should look for when shopping for the best sunscreen for melasma. Just remember that UV light can trigger melanocytes to produce excess melanin even if it has been treated.

To treat melasma at home, you can use these topical lightening agents. Melasma creams should contain active ingredients such as kojic acid, arbutin, and gigawhite which can interfere the melanin production, fading the marks. Tina Alster, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center advises not to use hydroquinone based skin lightening creams. One product that can stop the melanocytes from going hyperdrive is Meladerm. It has more than 10 lightening ingredients. All of them are plant extracts. It is the best cream for melasma

Check out what other users say about Meladerm in treating their melasma.