How long does it take for hyperpigmentation to fade? Once what's causing the dark spots or patches is found and stopped, fading can take time. A spot that is a few shades darker than your natural skin color will usually fade within 6 to 12 months. If the color lies deep in your skin, however, fading can take years.
Dermatologists consider products with hydroquinone, alone or combined with other lighteners, to be the gold standard for fading dark spots because it slows the production of pigment.
In some cases, hyperpigmentation may appear to darken before it starts to fade. This is because the pigmented cells that cause hyperpigmentation may become more active before they begin to break down and fade away. However, in other cases, hyperpigmentation may not darken before it fades.
Whether or not post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is permanent depends on three things: How severe the trauma that caused the discolouration was. The skin colour of the person affected. How the skin is treated afterwards.
The Ingredient: Vitamin C
When Youll See Results: Once you add vitamin C to your skincare regimen, you may start seeing noticeable improvements in three weeks. It can help significantly fade hyperpigmentation in about two months.
If it does not fade, a doctor may recommend: avoiding sun exposure. using a topical cream that contains zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or iron oxide. using another medication for other types of hyperpigmentation, such as hydroquinone.
Not wearing sunscreen – Unprotected sun exposure can cause further darkening and prolong the fading process. Make sure to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, every day regardless of the weather.
Some patience is still required, as hyperpigmentation in general is somewhat difficult to remove completely. In simple terms, hyperpigmentation is a result of the body producing too much melanin. Melanin is the pigment that protects your skin from the sun.
In this case, turning to dermatological procedures will work as the fastest way to get rid of hyperpigmentation. Chemical peels, laser therapy, microdermabrasion, or dermabrasion are all options that work similarly to rid skin of hyperpigmentation.
Even with treatment, it can take a long time for your skin to return to normal. Epidermal PIH can last for 6 to 12 months or more. Dermal PIH can take years to fade, and spots may be permanent. There is also a chance new spots can show up, or that your PIH will come back again after fading.
By incorporating exfoliation into your skincare routine, it can lessen the symptoms of hyperpigmentation and often clear up your skin altogether. Exfoliation's primary role in this process is to reduce excess melanin by breaking up pigmented cells and shedding dead skin cells faster.
Darker areas of skin (or an area that tans more easily) occurs when you have more melanin or overactive melanocytes. Bronzing of the skin may sometimes be mistaken for a suntan. This skin discoloration often develops slowly, starting at the elbows, knuckles, and knees and spreading from there.
Hydroquinone. Topical HQ is regarded as the gold standard for the treatment of facial hyperpigmentation. HQ is a bleaching agent that acts by inhibiting tyrosinase to limit melanin production in the skin.
The key takeaway on hyperpigmentation
Sun damage is the number one cause of patches of hyperpigmentation, and you can do a lot to prevent sun damage by applying SPF and staying out of direct sunlight. To treat darker skin pigmentation, using products that contain ingredients such as retinol or Niacinamide can help.
Hyperpigmentation within the dermis has a blue-gray appearance and may either be permanent or resolve over a protracted period of time if left untreated.
People with darker skin are naturally more susceptible to dark spots. The skin is already creating melanin, which is what gives it a darker color, and when hormones or trauma trigger an increase in this melanin production, you are more susceptible to hyperpigmentation.
Hyperpigmentation can appear as brown, black, gray, red or pink spots or patches. The spots are sometimes called age spots, sun spots or liver spots. The spots can occur in just one area of the body or all over.
A spot that is a few shades darker than your natural skin color will usually fade within 6 to 12 months. If the color lies deep in your skin, however, fading can take years. Discoloration that lies deep in the skin is often slate blue to gray in color.
When vitamin C is exposed to light it becomes unstable, the consequences include irritation, inflammation and acne. All of these can cause post inflammatory pigmentation, leaving you worse off than when you started.
“If the retinol you're using is too strong for your skin causing inflammation, darker skin tones may have a higher risk of discoloration, or hyperpigmentation, from the use of it," she adds.
Pigmentation is the coloring of a person's skin. When a person is healthy, their skin color will appear normal. In the case of illness or injury, the person's skin may change color, becoming darker (hyperpigmentation) or lighter (hypopigmentation).