Hyperpigmentation: Why It Happens and How to Treat It Based on Your Skin Tone

If you struggle with dark spots and discoloration, you’re not alone. “Seventy percent of my patients have hyperpigmentation,” says Dr. Dennis Gross, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare. Dr. Gross’s years of experience treating this common issue across a range of skin types have recently culminated in the development of IPL Dark Spot Correcting Serum, a breakthrough treatment that works in three ways: by removing pigmented cells from the skin’s surface, inhibiting melanin transfer in the middle skin layers and preventing melanin production at the source. In this edition of our Doctor’s Office series, Dr. Gross explains why hyperpigmentation occurs and the best methods to treat it in all skin tones.

If you’re suffering from hyperpigmentation, I am almost certain that you have done your research to learn exactly what it is and what causes it. You understand that the condition, in which your skin has become darker in certain areas due to an excess of melanin, can affect any skin tone. You may also have discovered that your particular case of hyperpigmentation may have been caused by sun damage, hormonal changes, acne or inflammation.

How Does Hyperpigmentation Affect Different Skin Tones? 

Hyperpigmentation is serious stuff and requires serious care, but there are a few important points to first understand:

• 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.
• Unfortunately, it is more difficult to treat dark spots in darker skin tones. You need to be gentle enough to ensure that you don’t irritate or inflame the skin to the point where you are causing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
• Those with lighter skin tones have fewer limitations when it comes to treatments for hyperpigmentation, as their risk to overproduce melanin is significantly less. Lighter skin tones, however, are more likely to form dark spots as a result of sun damage.

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