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.
The Best Way to Treat Your Hyperpigmentation
Knowing where to turn and what products to use to treat the cause of hyperpigmentation in your particular complexion can be overwhelming. I like to offer a few basic guidelines to treat your skin without increasing concerns.
For darker skin types, you should avoid in-office and at-home treatments that cause too much trauma to the skin. For example, I do not recommend the IPL laser or hydroquinone to patients with darker skin tones—both are considered by some to be top treatments for hyperpigmentation, but could actually worsen the condition.
In my experience, hydroquinone is too harsh a product for all skin tones and is a known skin irritant. It should be avoided, even if you have light skin. There is also a risk of increased pigmentation if it is used in high concentrations for long periods of time. Instead, I recommend a clinical-strength hyperpigmentation-correcting serum that does not contain hydroquinone. Read more
