What is Hyperpigmentation?

Defined by uneven dark spots and uneven skintone, hyperpigmentation is typically caused scaring from acne, imbalanced hormones and sun damage.

Sunspots, pimple marks, melasma patches: In its every iteration, hyperpigmentation can be as inescapable as the forces that fuel it — namely, the sun, heat, and your own hormones, hyperpigmentation acne isn't something easy to deal with.

That's why so many of us choose to just embrace dark spots, or simply slap on a tinted cream and call it a day.Fist bumps all around, we say. But if spots and speckling truly bug you, we're here to help.

Hyperpigmentation has to be one of the most challenging issues to resolve on your own.

Ways to treat hyperpigmentation

Retinol

Retinol's ability to get deep into the skin and stimulate collagen production is great for treating scarring due to hyperpigmentation. One issue with retinol to treat hyperpigmentation is human error: when applying creams there's an opportunity to unevenly apply or miss problem areas with dark spots, which is why we suggest our retinol gummies.

By ingesting retinol in gummy form the retinol gets into your system and is evenly distributed to target all areas effected.

Apple Cider Vinegar 

ACV contains acetic acid which helps brighten the skin. It also helps shrink the pores, tightens the skin and reduces inflammation as a natural astringent.

Acetic acid is also known as being antimicrobial killing bacteria, which is why ACV is good for treating acne as well.

Aloe Vera

With aloe vera, the special ingredient is aloin has had studies performed that suggests applying it to the effected areas for 2 weeks helps fight sun damage and helps normalize uneven skin tone.

Black Tea for Skincare

Antioxidants are known to be great for the skin, and black tea is a great source of it. For a more effective treatment instead of just drinking it, try boiling tea bags in water on low for 2 hours and dipping cotton balls into the tea, applying it 2 times a day for a couple weeks, studies have shown that there is more absorption into the skin when applying it directly which can lead to a more even skin tone.

See a dermatologist about Hyperpigmentation

Sure, there's the familiar litany of botanical brighteners like licorice root, arbutin, aloe vera, and soy; the more hardcore gold-standard chemicals like retinoids (which not everyone tolerates well); our beloved cast of antioxidants, with vitamin C and green tea being the big stars; the gently exfoliating fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids; and, of course, the almighty sunscreen, without which all other actives are essentially futile.

But do you want to know the absolute right-hand-on-the-beauty-bible truth? If you're bothered by spots of any kind, the very best thing you can do is see a dermatologist.

Yes, serums, peels, and creams can help tremendously — but especially after dermatologists make a dent in the problem by lifting and lightening the unwanted hyperpigmentation with professional-strength chemical peels and carefully calibrated lasers.

And the approach is different for every patient; the exact protocol your doctor chooses to follow will ultimately depend on your skin's tone and degree of sensitivity, the particular kind of pigment you're battling, and your cash flow (as lasers carry heftier price tags than peels).

Now that we've let you in on that little secret — sparing you, we hope, from future frustrations and failed products — here are a few more fascinating truths to guide you to enlightenment.

Pigment actually serves a special purpose

While spots and muddy patches may not be doing your selfie-esteem any favors — they absorb light and are actually born of good intentions. Your skin's melanocyte cells pump out brown pigment when riled up by inflammation-breeding instigators, like the sun, irritation, estrogen, heat, or free radicals from any source, because beyond serving as a UV absorber, melanin (the brown stuff) possesses innate antioxidant properties. 

That pigment then migrates out into surrounding skin cells in an attempt to protect DNA from damage! 

Dullness magnifies discoloration

Old, dead, irregularly heaped-up cells cause the complexion to absorb and scatter light randomly, rather than reflecting it back evenly to create a glow.

That's why exfoliating alone can sometimes make sunspots or other dyspigmentation look better temporarily.

Pigment can hide out below the skin

When aiming to improve melasma and sun-induced discoloration, go for full-face products rather than spot treatments.

Even stains that appear to be individual, isolated spots are often more widespread below the skin's surface — the full scope of their pigment not yet visible to the naked eye — so it's wise to treat the entire face

Conclusion

Caused by hormonal changes, sun damage, reactions to drugs, inflammation and medical conditions, hyperpigmentation doesn't have be something you're stuck with for life.

Try out our retinol gummies if you're ready to take on hyperpigmentation and get back to beautiful, even toned skin.