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.