The Need For Skin Lightening ||

There are creams and lotions available over the counter that will help improve the tone of your skin. Before using these products a person should take into consideration the condition of their skin and how severe the problem is. The use of skin lightening products has been linked to the increase in skin cancer. Skin bleaching creams can contain ingredients that are considered toxic chemicals and can cause serious side effects. No skin bleaching product should be used for more than four weeks and large areas should not be treated as this can cause discoloration of the skin.

Many of these products can also contain topical steroids and long-term use can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes and the suppression of the body’s natural steroids. The use of many skin lightening products can cause a decrease in melanin which will lead to a person being more likely to suffer severe sun damage to their skin. There are also pills on the market that say they will whiten the skin by using an amino acid found naturally in the human body. Since this pill is made of a product found in the body anyway it is considered safe by the manufacturers. It should not be used by people who suffer from vitiligo.

Exfoliating the skin will sometimes help lighten the dark areas of the skin. There are products available that contain both an exfoliating product and a skin lightening products. These products will not produce the lightening of the skin as much as other means but are not as harmful. Dermatologists are the best source of advice on skin lightening. They can recommend a product or procedure that will best benefit the condition and person. They do not recommend over the counter products since they feel they are too dangerous as many products may contain ingredients that should not be used on the skin.

The Need For Skin Lightening

Skin lightening is also known as skin whitening or skin bleaching and is used to lighten skin color and even out skin tones. Skin lightening may be used to make moles and birthmarks match the rest of a person’s skin. When vitiligo is the problem skin lightening may be used to give a more uniform appearance in the areas not affect by the condition.

The pigment, melanin is responsible for the color of a person’s skin and the darkness of that color. Melanin is also responsible for providing protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. All people, regardless of skin color can suffer from uneven pigmentation which is caused by too much or too little melanin.

Hyper-pigmentation which is increased melanin production can be the results of overexposure to the sun, hormone changes, injury or skin surgery, stress and even some autoimmune diseases.
The desire for an even skin tone will prompt some people to try products and procedures to lighten their skin by the removal of hyper-pigmentation. These treatments range from the use of creams to laser treatments.

Laser surgery is a drastic measure of treatment for hyper-pigmentation and is used only in cases where not else has worked. It is most often used for even out the skin when vitiligo is the problem. Vitiligo is a condition where the pigment cells are destroyed and white patches appear. The cause of vitiligo is not known but is thought to be an autoimmune disease and is often an inherited condition.

Another type of treatment that is used only when other treatments have failed is pulsed light treatment. It consist of directing beams of light milder than used in lasers to the affected area and are administered in pulses.

Prevention is Always the Best Course of Action(Nat...

For some people, while sun protection is still important, no amount of “slip, slap, slop” will allow prevention of hyper-pigmentation, or a darkening of the skin, which is technically what a suntan is. Exposure to UV rays, whether natural or artificial, signals the skin to produce melanin, which causes the skin to darken naturally.

Some people, however, produce extra melanin even without the sun. In fact, it is the overproduction of melanin that causes freckles, age spots, dark under eye circles, and other skin problems. For these people, products containing a natural cell tint deactivator (tyrosinase inhibitor) can help.

Certain substances found in nature have a natural cell tint deactivator (tyrosinase inhibitor) as part of their make-up. These include such things as Vitamin E, ginkgo leaves, and an extract that is derived from the saffron plant. However, getting enough of the necessary ingredients can sometimes be different.

Recently, it has been shown that anthocyan, a type of polyphenol, has worked very well as a natural cell tint deactivator (tyrosinase inhibitor). Anthocyan can be derived from foods, such as blueberries, red cabbage, dark grapes or grape juice—in short, just about any food that has a natural deep coloration can be a source of anthocyan. When combined with other ingredients which are safe for use on the skin, the result is a skin lightening product.

Prevention is Always the Best Course of Action (Su...

Sun protection is so easy to achieve that there is really no excuse not to take advantage of the products and practices that afford it. In fact, there is a saying—“Slip, Slap, Slop”—that is designed to help people remember exactly how to do it. Let’s take each of these in order.

“Slip on a shirt.” This is what “slip” stands for, and it simply means cover up exposed skin. Wear light-colored clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt on top and pants on the bottom, in a tight enough weave that will not allow the sun’s rays to penetrate.

Some clothing manufacturers have actually designed garments that have a sun protection factor, or SPF, just as some sunscreens do. The clothes even come in varying degrees of SPF, from low to high. These garments have been especially welcomed by very fair-skinned people as well as parents who want to start the good habit of sun protection as early as possible in their children’s lives.

“Slap on a hat.” Wearing a hat will provide protection to the scalp and ears as well as the face. Some people forget, until it is too late, that the scalp and ears are just as vulnerable, if not more so, to sun damage as the face is. The wider brim a hat has the more sun protection it will have. However, even a baseball cap can afford some shade.

“Slop on the sunscreen.” This does not just mean suntan lotion, although it affords the greatest sun protection. It is a good idea to look for skin care products that contain ingredients that afford at least a minimal amount of protection. Many types of lotions and face make-up contain sunscreen, making it possible for a person to look good and still practice good skin damage prevention.

Prevention is Always the Best Course of Action

This is the first in a line of helpful post about how to protect your skin from thew sun. Skin lightening treatments are available, and in cases where hyper-pigmentation or hypo-pigmentation occurred either naturally or as a result of disease, trauma, or other reasons, can be deeply appreciated. Anyone who has a port wine stain birthmark or large areas of vitiglio-both natural occurrences-especially on the face, are probably thankful that they have access to such treatments. Those who suffer from psoriasis but have the disease well under control can also take advantage of these treatments. As with any condition, however, prevention is always the best course of action. And, where the skin is concerned, sun protection is the best method of prevention.