Top 5 mistakes that is making your pigmentation worse

Posted Thursday July 18th, 2019

Some think it looks cute but most find pigmentation a bane of their existence, especially for Asians who prize clear, luminous skin as a sign of beauty. These patchy irregular spots lend a blemished appearance to one’s face and doesn’t do anything to enhance one’s appearance.

So here we are in sunny Singapore, religious with our sunscreen and taking care not to get into the sun but the colony of pigmentation doesn’t appear to recede and on the contrary is charging back with full force.

Read on to find out the common mistakes you might be guilty of without realising they could be responsible for exacerbating your pigmentation.

Heat

Sure, UV from the sun’s rays are known to increase pigmentation but did you know that physical heat from the sun can also affect pigmentation? Studies have shown that temperature regulates how much melanin is produced by your body and the hotter it is, the higher the amount of melanin produced. This applies to heat in all forms, including heat from the sun, cooking, saunas and even hot flushes can have an impact on your pigmentation. So if you’re looking to improve or prevent pigmentation, it’s best to steer clear of heat as much as possible.

Birth control

Melasma, a form of pigmentation is linked to hormones and as we know for birth control pills to work, they affect our hormones. In fact, it’s even been shown that many birth control pills stimulate the melanocyte cells in your skin to produce more melanin. It’s nothing you can do in this case if birth control is your objective but it’s definitely something to be aware of.

Poor blood circulation

Healthy blood flow is vital for your body to function well and if your blood circulation is poor, inevitably there will be a lack of oxygen in your skin too. This not only affects pigmentation but also could affect how healthy others may view you to be. Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle while managing your stress levels to ensure a good blood circulation throughout.

Stress

Studies have shown that when young females were under more stress, the more prone they were to darker pigmentation in their skin. Unfortunately, this wasn’t true for males.

It’s also been well documented that hormonal illnesses like Addison’s and Cushing’s Disease which feature an imbalance of cortisol, a stress hormone, leads to skin discolouration. It was safe to conclude that there’s a definite link between stress and hyperpigmentation.

Lack of sleep

As we all know, proper sleep is vital for the healthy function of your body in general and for healthy skin. With lack of sleep comes poor blood circulation and even increased stress levels. All these can only point to pigmentation.

In the short run, pigmentation can be treated with lasers to help get rid of them. It’s always important to visit a reputable aesthetic clinic and doctor who will be able to customise a treatment plant for you, that’s right for your skin type and for your concerns.