Shabir was back in the bathroom with Trinny Woodall over the weekend discussing more common skincare concerns. If you battle with hyperpigmentation, rosacea or have unwanted scarring, it’s definitely worth watching.
What is hyperpigmentation?
As soon as it hits the skin we produce melanin, a powerful antioxidant that blocks 98 percent of UV rays. Essentially melanin is the body’s natural protection against UV rays. There are three main types of hyperpigmentation:
Sun and age spots: These are the most common and are small patches of light-to-dark brown spots, caused by overexposure to the sun.
Melasma: This is more of a skin discolouration that is often caused by hormone imbalances and is usually associated with pregnancy and taking birth control. It is thought that lower oestrogen levels are to blame.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: Inflammation can cause pigment to clump. It often goes hand-in-hand with other concerns, such as acne and eczema.
What are the solutions for hyperpigmentation?
Hydroquinone: It is the gold standard ingredient for hyperpigmentation, but has to be prescribed by a doctor. It may destroy your melanocytes forever, which can affect olive and darker skin tones.
Laser: This destroys surface spots on the top layer of your skin and helps encourage the production of new skin cells.
IPL (Intense Pulse Light Therapy): Breaks down the pigment using frequencies, and either scabs or is washed away by your lymphatic system.
Microdermabrasion: Another in-salon treatment, which removes the top layers of your skin to help reduce the appearance of pigmentation.
What are the best at-home remedies for hyperpigmentation?
Alpha arbutin: It blocks the enzymes used to manufacture the pigment to prevent hyperpigmentation.
Kojic acid: Derived from fungi, kojic acid has skin brightening and lightening properties to help fade existing pigmentation.
Niacinamide: This helps to prevent the accumulation of pigment on the surface of your skin.
A flushed red complexion, often with bumps can be a sign of rosacea. A more extreme version can include pussy spots. It affects more women than men. The exact cause is still unknown, but it is thought that there could be a non-specific bacteria that live on the skin that could exacerbate it.
What are the best at-home remedies for rosacea?
Thyme Out is a thyme-based tonic that can help alleviate mild rosacea as it helps to kill the bacteria on the surface of the skin. Tea Tree can also help, but it needs to be diluted with water.
Azelaic Acid can also help as it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to help reduce lumps, bumps and redness, but it does take time. Garden of Wisdom Azelaic Acid is a good place to start if you haven’t used the ingredient before. It is also worth avoiding products that contain fragrance and essential oils.
Take an inside-out approach by incorporating Clear Skin Complex by Viridian into your routine. It contains probiotics to rebalance bacteria, zinc to heal your skin and burdock root to cleanse the bloodstream.
What is the best treatment to reduce scars?
Sheald Recovery Balm by iS Clinical can be used on open wounds or old scars to help heal the skin. It hydrates your skin, calms inflammation and relieves itchiness.
To watch more from Trinny, visit her YouTube page.
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