What is hyperpigmentation?
Patches of skin become darker than others, leading to an uneven skin tone. This happens because the skin is producing extra melanin, a skin pigment, and it’s the melanin that causes the darkening or discolouration.
It can appear as brown, black, grey, red or pink spots or patches that occur on any part of your body. The patches may be small and affecting only a specific area, or hyperpigmentation may affect large parts of the body. It can lead people to feel self-conscious about their appearance and affect self confidence.
What causes hyperpigmentation?
There are three main types of hyperpigmentation
Sun spots
Also known as liver spots or age spots, these are small, flat patches of darker skin. They are brown in colour and they’re caused by exposure to the sun. They generally develop in those over the age of 40 and they appear on the face, backs of the hands, shoulders and forearms, the body parts that tend to be in the sun more often.
Melasma
Melasma is a blotchy appearance of darker skin that commonly appears on the face. It is linked to hormonal changes, is more common in women than men, and may occur during pregnancy or while taking birth control pills. It tends to run in families, which suggests a genetic element, and spending time out in the sun may encourage it to develop.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
This is where the skin becomes darker following injury or trauma to it. A common cause is acne, where the skin becomes inflamed. Other wounds like ulcers or anything that creates skin irritation can also cause it. Anyone with a darker skin tone may have a greater risk of developing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, as their skin already produces more melanin.
Most cases of skin darkening are harmless, however some skin cancers may look similar to sun spots. If you notice any changes to moles or freckles, or if you’re concerned about skin cancer, it’s important to consult your GP and get your symptoms checked as soon as possible.
How to get rid of hyperpigmentation?
At Hannah London, our luxury clinics offer a range of treatments to gently lighten your skin and help regain your confidence in your appearance.
At-home Self Care Treatments
Chemical peels are a deep exfoliating process that can break up clusters of melanin forming spots, reducing the skin colouration. Mild peels are commonly used, in a course of several treatments, to support your skin to look its best.
Find out more about chemical peels for hyperpigmentation
If a treatment doesn’t have a separate treatment page (ie if you don’t set up a specific page about chemical peels) then the calls to action should be amended to a generic “get in touch” message
We also offer deeper chemical peels that have been specially formulated to work effectively with more stubborn cases of hyperpigmentation, while still caring for your skin.
The Perfect Peel is a specialised chemical peel that goes deeper and gives faster results. It uses Glutathione, an antioxidant, to reverse the discolouration caused by melanin.
Find out more about The Perfect Peel for hyperpigmentation.
Cosmelan is another deeper chemical peel which is particularly effective for melasma. It has two phases: part one is applied at the clinic by a qualified practitioner and phase two is an at-home treatment of a maintenance cream.
Find out more about Cosmelan for hyperpigmentation.
Dermalan can be used on all skin types and all kinds of hyperpigmentation and, again, is a deeper kind of chemical peel that works in two phases: in clinic and at-home maintance.
Find out more about Dermalan.
Microneedling, where tiny needles are used to create microscopic (non-visible) wounds in the skin, is often used in combination with chemical peels. This stimulates collagen production, leading to a more even skin tone.
Find out more about microneedling.
Skin boosters, which are different from the more traditional fillers, are injections of hyaluronic acid directly into the skin, creating the popular ‘glass skin’ glow and are also used to improve skin tone.
Find out more about skin boosters for hyperpigmentation.
Glutathione is also available as an IV (intravenous) treatment and an injection. When administered by an qualified practitioner, it can have a positive effect on skin tone and colour.
Find out more about Glutathione for hyperpigmentation.
Our qualified practitioners can select supplements that will nourish your skin and reduce hyperpigmentation, like ANP Skin Even IQ.
Find out more about supplements for hyperpigmentation.
Prescription medications are topical creams that you can apply at home to gently lighten your skin and will contain active ingredients like topical steroids or hydroquinone.
Find out more about prescription topical treatments.
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Further Reading
Information from Changing Faces about hyperpigmentation.
More information on melasma from the British Skin Foundation
Tips on protecting your skin from the sun, to help reduce hyperpigmentation from the British Skin Founda
Meet one of our doctors for a consultation to discuss your treatment options
Welcome to
Hannah London
We’re a team of aesthetic and medical specialists lead by Dr Kaywaan Khan. We provide award-winning facial, body and hair treatments to clients across London.
Our ethos is to offer cutting-edge treatments in a luxurious setting, ensuring that you leave our clinic feeling pampered and looking fabulous.
