Most people love the natural colour of their skin. For some it’s a sun-kissed brown, others a warm olive or a creamy, dewy glow. The problem is when you have “all” these colours on just one face. This is what most people refer to as an uneven complexion or hyperpigmentation.
It appears as patches of skin that are darker than the surrounding skin, and occurs when the skin produces excess melanin (the pigment that gives skin its colour).
While hyperpigmentation can affect any skin type, it is very common on skin of colour, as darker skin tones already have a higher melanin content.
Certain skin conditions like broken capillaries and rosacea can make uneven skin appear blotchier and more blemished.
What type of Hyperpigmentation do I have?
Before you slap on the concealer, try to work out what type of hyperpigmentation you have and then decide on the appropriate treatment.
- Sun Exposure or Age Spots: brown or black spots and blemishes that appear due to overexposure to the sun.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: due to injury, illness or certain medications.
- Hereditary hyperpigmentation: a pattern of pigmentation common amongst family members/ groups, for instance darker skin around the lips.
- Hormonal Hyperpigmentation/ Melasma: large patches of darkened skin often on the forehead, face, and stomach due a fluctuation in hormones. *This type of pigmentation is treated has many complex causes and is discussed separately under “Melasma”