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Have you realised that your skin has acquired a darker colour than usual? Have dark age spots appeared on your face and hands? Are you pregnant and experiencing the darkening of your skin on the abdomen and other areas.? Well, these are all signs of hyperpigmentation. The good news is that this skin condition is a harmless, common condition in which some patches of skin acquire a darker color than the normal surrounding skin.

What Are The Causes Of Hyperpigmentation?

1. Age Spots - 'Liver' or age spots are one of the commonest hyperpigmentation forms. They usually appear in skin that has suffered solar damage. Doctors call them solar lentigines. These darkened, small spots are usually found on the face and hands or other areas frequently exposed to the sun.

2. Hormonal Changes - Hormonal changes are also a factor which play a great role in the hyperpigmentation of the skin. Women who take birth control pills are more susceptible to suffering from this skin condition. Melasma or chloasma spots look very similar to age spots but are larger patches of dark skin that appear most often as a consequence of hormonal changes.

3. Pregnancy - It is very common to see a fine, dark vertical line running down your abdomen when pregnant. This is due to an overproduction of melanin that causes darkened skin on the breasts, abdomen, and other areas. It is also the culprit of the "mask of pregnancy" on the face.

4. Acne - Skin diseases like acne can leave dark marks after the condition clears.

5. Skin Injuries- Injuries to the skin, including some surgeries can leave dark scars on your skin..

6. Hereditary - Hyperpigmentation can also be hereditary. Freckles are an inherited characteristic.The small brown spots known as freckles can be found anywhere on the skin, but are most common on the arms and face.

Protect Your Skin From The Sun.

One of the main enemies the skin has is the sun. Most of us enjoy having a nice tan on our skin but we don't realise the harm we are doing to our complexion. Hyperpigmentation is heavily affected by the sun. This is due to the melanin which is produced to protect the skin from overexposure, absorbing the energy of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Skin tanning is the usual result of this process, which tends to darken already hyperpigmented skin areas. It is recommended to wear a "broad spectrum" sunscreen. This type of sunscreen blocks both ultraviolet A and B. Remember, if you tan your skin excessively in one day you are more likely to undo months of treatment, so protect your skin!!

Skin Treatments

Skin treatments for hyperpigmentation promise to lighten the skin. The most recommended prescription cream is hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is in fact a skin bleach cream. Bleaches fade and lighten darkened skin patches by reducing the production of melanin so those dark patches gradually fade to match normal skin tone. However, these come with side effects. Prescription hyperpigmentation treatment creams include two times the amount of hydroquinone, the active ingredient, as skin bleaches sold over-the-counter. In some severe cases, a cortisone cream and prescription creams with tretinoin are added. These can be irritating to sensitive skin and will take 3-6 months to produce improvement.

Do we need our skin to experience so many invasive chemicals which can bring with them unwanted side effects to our body system? The skin is already suffering the strains of hyperpigmentation, do we need to add more? The answer lies in a biological treatment alternative that produces highly effective results. This natural solution is a great example of how the earth's natural substances work just as well and even better than man made chemicals, which in the long run, can make matters worse.

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