Written By: Dr Shuba Dharmana | Updated : February 6, 2015 11:48 AM IST
I am a sports teacher. My skin is very sensitive and I have pigmentation on my face. l use skinlite cream for this and my skin looks clear and fair. But when l stop applying the cream, l get pigmentation again. I want a permanent solution, kindly suggest something.
Answered by celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Dr Shuba Dharmana.
If you are a sports teacher I am assuming you get a lot of sun exposure. It is very important to use sun protection i.e. applying a sunscreen with SPF 30 or above and using a hat, glasses, etc. Pigmentation often gets worse with sun exposure as sunlight stimulates more melanin production. Melanin is the pigment that gives us the brown skin colour. Here's how to get rid of pigmentation with coconut.
While triple therapy like skinlite can help lighten hyperpigmentation, it has to be used with caution and under a dermatologist's supervision. It is often prescribed for a few weeks and with or without skin peel treatments. (Read: Get flawless skin without dark spots and patches)
A peel causes flaking and peeling of the outermost skin layers so that the new skin has lesser pigmentation. But this treatment requires 6-8 sittings depending on the condition. A Q-switched laser treatment can also help lighten pigmentation and this also needs few sittings. Combination treatment with laser as well as peels also works well.
It is important to get the pigmentation diagnosed by your dermatologist. The butterfly type pattern seen on the cheeks and nose is called melasma which can be dermal (deep) and epidermal (superficial). The dermal patterns are quite difficult to treat hence this needs to be identified. (Read: How to treat a dark spot on the cheek)
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