We’re about to go into another heatwave, which means some of us are going to see some changes to our skin. Changes we don’t really want. You might have started noticing some little dark spots, maybe on your upper lip, the side of your face, or on your forehead.
SPF IS KEY
First & foremost, what you need to know (and you should all know already) is:
- SPF is your best friend.
- Using SPF will of course stop you getting sun burnt and prevent skin cancers, but it’s also good at preventing pigmentation – you need to use SPF every day to avoid pigmentation.
Product recommendation:
- Ultrasun Face Anti-Ageing and Anti-Pigmentation Sun Protection Very High SPF50: https://bit.ly/2CC1Q7j
HOW CAN YOU TREAT PIGMENTATION and MELASMA?
Pigmentation and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and melasma belong to the same family, but their causes are different. Pigmentation can be caused by sun damage, acne scarring, picking spots or inflammation, just for starters.
Melasma is predominantly linked to your hormones, so lots of women get it when they start taking the pill, during pregnancy, menopause and various conditions like Lupus and even Celiac Disease.
Female sufferers outweigh male 9 to 1.
It’s basically your melanocytes throwing their toys out of the pram. In a normal skin your melanocytes work like a sparkler, generating melanin, with melasma, the melanocytes are going off like fireworks.
You can get a package of laser treatments to help with melasma. Sun block and clinical peels help too. I had mild melasma with my pregnancies, and it clears up in winter and rears its head again in the summer. Get used to it reoccurring like an old friend (enemy?!).
The bad news is, even if you stay out of the sun and wear sun block, it will probably come back because that’s what it does. It’s also heat triggered, so honestly impossible to avoid in weather like this – it WILL help to stay away from saunas and steam rooms.
Make sure you know if you’ve got melasma or pigmentation before you part with your hard-earned cash.
The following products were listed in order of strength (and as it turns out, price).
- The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2%: https://bit.ly/2Z1BrY9
- The Inkey List Tranexamic Acid Overnight Treatment: https://bit.ly/2Vf9PO1
- NIOD RE Pigment Serum: https://bit.ly/2Vb4TcQ
- Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum: https://bit.ly/2SY8n25
- Cyspera Intensive Pigment Corrector. This is a professional treatment. Pigmentation can affect all skin tones, but this product is particularly good for black & darker skin tones: West Room Aesthetics
PRODUCTS TO PROVIDE SUNBURN RELIEF
If you overdo it and get some sunburn, these three products are brilliant for calming the skin and giving you relief:
- Boots Calamine & Glycerin Cream is cheap and it really works. You don’t need a prescription: Boots
- Soleve Sunburn Relief cutaneous emulsion isn’t for little ones, it’s 12 years and older. You can buy it online or over the counter as it contains ibuprofen. All you need to do is apply a small amount to the affected area: Boots
- Diprobase is available from any pharmacy and is recommended by doctors: Diprobase
My book Skincare is available here: http://b.link/SkincareAR
This post is not sponsored but uses affiliated links. I do not use affiliate links on products belonging to brands that I work with on a professional basis (and you cannot use brands that you work with on telly!).
See my full disclaimer here: https://www.carolinehirons.com/page-about
The views expressed on this site are the author’s own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.
