Is hyperpigmentation curable? While you can get rid of the dark spots and patches, new ones can form. Even though you cannot cure all forms of hyperpigmentation, you can prevent it from developing again.
High quality skincare like this one can absolutely help with hyperpigmentation, the only downside is— it can take months to see results and requires frequent and consistent use (which can get expensive). With Lasers on the other hand, you will see immediate results with 1-3 treatments and the results are permanent.
Mild hyperpigmentation can begin to fade within 3-6 months with consistent treatment. More aggressive treatments, such as chemical peels, may show results sooner but often require multiple sessions. Severe cases of hyperpigmentation, such as deep melasma, can take a year or more to resolve.
Epidermal hypermelanosis will appear tan, brown, or dark brown and may take months to years to resolve without treatment. 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.
“Treatments containing ingredients like vitamin C, licorice root, and kojic acid help reduce hyperpigmentation by inhibiting tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for the formation of skin-darkening melanin," says Ni'Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist in New York City.
Vitamin C can help reduce hyperpigmentation and even out skin tone, with noticeable results in as little as 3-4 weeks. After two months of use, users may experience significant fading of hyperpigmentation.
It can be caused by a variety of factors, from pregnancy hormones and birth control pills to acne and sun exposure. Depending upon the cause of your hyperpigmentation, it may eventually go away on its own, but melasma—the type that's caused by hormones—is the most stubborn.
Epidermal: Epidermal melasma has a dark brown color, a well-defined border, appears obvious under black light and sometimes responds well to treatment. Dermal: Dermal melasma has a light brown or bluish color, a blurry border, appears no differently under black light and doesn't respond well to treatment.
In mild to moderate cases, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is not permanent and the blemishes will fade over time – even if left untreated. In severe cases, it can take months and even years for the discolouration to fade and some traces can remain permanently.
Hyperpigmentation can improve naturally over time, but its longevity is influenced by factors such as genetic makeup, depth of discolouration, and hormonal influences. Some types may fade on their own, but stubborn conditions like melasma may require intervention.
If you want to get rid of dark spots fast, a procedure that removes layers of discolored skin may work better than a lightening cream. These techniques include laser treatments, freezing (cryotherapy), dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, microneedling, and chemical peels.
You can take some comfort in knowing that hyperpigmentation can fade away, pretty much completely, over time. It can actually take from 3 to 24 months to hyperpigmentation to fully fade6, though in tough cases it could take even longer. The most important thing you can do for your skin after a treatment, is be gentle.
Sun exposure – The ultraviolet light from the sun can cause dark spots to appear, as well as darken existing pigmentation. Prolonged and unprotected sun exposure can also cause premature skin aging and affect the end results of your aesthetic treatments or lead to unwanted side effects.
Postinflammatory pigmentation is also called acquired melanosis. More severe injury results in postinflammatory hypopigmentation, which is usually permanent.
It is more common in individuals with light-brown to darker skin tones and may run in families. Doctors are unsure about what causes melasma, but a change in hormones can trigger it, for example, during pregnancy or when using birth control pills.
Retinoids are useful in the treatment of hyperpigmentation because they reduce epidermal melanin by blocking the transcription of tyrosinase, induce desquamation, disperse keratinocyte pigment granules and enhance epidermal cell turnover via epidermopoiesis.
For those looking to reduce pigmentation on the face, our vitamin C serum is expertly formulated to help visibly reduce hyperpigmentation. Our CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum for Anti-Ageing is enriched with 10% pure vitamin C to visibly brighten and even out your skin tone.
You aren't wearing the right sunscreen
Using sunscreen regularly is very important. At the same time getting the right sunscreen is also important. Dermatologists recommend one with SPF 30 and more to prevent skin pigmentation.