Causes and Remedies for Darkened Skin
A person’s skin can be of various shades from very dark to fair or light colored. The color of the skin is governed by the amount of skin pigmentation and coloring proteins released by the skin cells which in turn is regulated by the genetic makeup of an individual. Melanin is the main protein factor responsible for various shades of the human skin. More melanin results in dark color skin while less melanin results in a light color of the skin.
Changing Skin Pigmentation
Skin pigmentation is affected by various factors throughout the lifespan of a person. Factors like age, hormonal changes, diet deficiencies, pollution and ultraviolet radiation all affect the production of the skin pigment and thus your skin color changes gradually with time. Thus, it is necessary to protect our skin against the abuse by harmful factors like above. Certain changes like aging and fluctuations in hormonal balance cannot be avoided but you should follow steps to ensure healthy skin for as long as possible.
Hyper-Pigmentation of The Skin
Changing skin pigmentation is a sign of skin abuse. If your skin color or pigmentation is changing, i.e. it is becoming darker than its original shade, then it is time to be extra careful to your skin. You might unknowingly be harming your skin or your protective measures might not be completely effective. Darkening of the skin also occurs when exposed to sunlight.Tthis is referred to a sun tan. Our skin has its own mechanism to recover itself from tanning. But prolonged and repeated exposure to UV rays is definitely harmful for the skin. It might lead to permanent darkening of the skin.
Apart from UV rays, certain other factors like aging or repeated exposure to certain skin allergens can also lead to hyper pigmentation. In hyper pigmentation, this skin does not uniformly get darkened. Instead patches of dark skin are formed on various areas. These start as small spots and gradually take shape as wide patches.
Remedies for Hyper-Pigmentation
The best option is to safeguard your skin. For this you can use sunscreen lotions, cotton or woolen gloves (to cover your hands), hats and sun glasses. Also it is necessary to make and follow the appropriate skin care regime to suit your skin type. You should also take suggestions from a dermatologist or skin care professional for any skin issues and concerns.
Apart from the above, skin care products are a solution to most skin problems. For hyper-pigmentation too, there are creams labeled as skin whitening or skin lightening products. These are usually thick creams with natural ingredients like vitamin E extract, tea tree extract and many others which help nourish the skin. Such products when used daily have proved to be very beneficial for the skin in regaining its original color and texture.
To conclude, when properly taken care of, our skin definitely retains its natural beauty, glow and youth for a long time.
The Author:
Naomi Andrews is an esthetician from Hawaii with 10 years of experience as a practitioner in a leading spa where she was providing her customers satisfying treatments for sun damage and sun burns.