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. Treatment for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation often involves more than one method.
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. “Melasma is most common in medium skin tones and it's very difficult to treat.
The length of time it takes for PIH to fade depends on how dark the spot is compared to the surrounding skin. The bigger the contrast between the dark area and your natural skin tone, the longer it will take to fade. PIH doesn't always fade away on its own. In some cases, it's more or less permanent.
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.
Based on your skin complexion, these areas can appear brown, tan, pink, gray, black, or even purple. As opposed to a suntan, which comes and goes, hyperpigmentation tends to be more longstanding, although areas may lighten or fade with time and treatment.
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.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is characterised by flat, tan, brown or black spots on the skin. This condition can occur on any area of the body, including in the mouth, the genital areas and on the nails.
Factors Affecting Hyperpigmentation Fading Time
Severity of hyperpigmentation: The deeper and more widespread the pigmentation, the longer it may take to fade. Sun exposure: UV rays can exacerbate hyperpigmentation and slow the fading process. It's essential to always wear sunscreen when dealing with pigmented spots.
This can occur due to burn injuries, sun burn, during the birth stage, or because of hereditary. Permanent depigmentation is a technique of imparting homogeneity in color throughout the body, even if it is not the patient's original color.
The three main types include age spots, melasma, and post-inflammatory trauma. Post-inflammatory trauma can result from an injury, sun exposure, or a skin condition, such as acne.
More severe and deep pigmentation, particularly on darker skin tones is most stubborn and may take years, to fade without proper treatment. The duration can also be prolonged further due to factors like continuous sun exposure, inflammation or injury to the skin.
It is mostly observed in darker skin types (see ethnic dermatology). Postinflammatory pigmentation is also called acquired melanosis. More severe injury results in postinflammatory hypopigmentation, which is usually permanent.
Depending on the cause of your hyperpigmentation, some medications can be prescribed by your dermatologist. Intense-pulsed light treatment is used for treating melasma using a broad spectrum of light to generate heat to target and remove pigment.
Treating the underlying cause of acanthosis nigricans can make the dark patches of skin fade or even disappear. This can mean stopping any medicine that's causing the problem or treating diabetes and other health conditions. Losing weight will help acanthosis nigricans fade.
Some forms of hyperpigmentation, such as those caused by acne, may fade within a few months, while others, like melasma, can last for years or even be permanent if not properly treated.
Reason #1: You're Getting Too Much Sun
“Hyperpigmentation can be incredibly frustrating and tough to treat. One of the easiest things you can do at home to help with hyperpigmentation is to be vigilant with sun protection,” says Dr. Camille Howard, a board-certified dermatologist and IT Cosmetics Advisory Board Member.
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.