THE JOURNAL
Every year, they appear with the first flush of summer. Two faint shadows on either cheek that grow darker day by day until they resemble a detailed map of the South Pacific. Hyperpigmentation is a bittersweet souvenir of my misspent youth. Those were the days when a light basting with tanning oil would afford me the irresistible glow of a rotisserie chicken. Days later, the skin would peel off my face in one satisfying sheet and I would sleep soundly, oblivious to the damage that would become apparent decades later.
“Whenever you’re exposed to the sun, UV light damages the structures within skin cells, including their DNA,” says aesthetic Dr David Jack during a sobering conversation at his Harley Street clinic. “The longer and more intense the exposure, the more damage you cause.” Not only is it one of the most common conditions he comes across, but it’s also the trickiest to treat.
The good news is that we do have natural protective and reparative mechanisms in place; the bad news is that they don’t last forever or work as reliably as we would like with age. Melanocytes, the pigment producing cells that live in the upper layer the skin, are one such natural defence. They work overtime in response to sun exposure and pump out excess pigment in an effort to protect DNA, which results in a tan as well as those telltale darker patches of skin. But at 41, sluggish repair systems combined with (considerably less deliberate) bouts of sun exposure have left my face looking like a dappled egg. “The regulation of things like pigment production and cell division becomes more erratic and patches eventually develop,” says Dr Jack.
Pigmentation can be lightened (more on how to do that below), but damage can’t be reversed for good. “Unfortunately, you can’t retrain the melanocytes in your skin,” Dr Jack says. “The use of antioxidants may in some way assist cellular repair and help prevent further damage, but essentially all treatment does is mop up excess pigment. It doesn’t treat the cause of it.”
So here is the bitter pill: it’s more than likely that chronic cases of hyperpigmentation will require treatment after each summer. If you have the inclination, budget and discipline, here are a few ways of fading those patches.
01.
The routine vitamin C
Vitamin C is usually touted as an antioxidant, but its brightening properties are very well-documented. Hyperpigmentation treatment generally focuses on reducing the production of new pigment (melanin), through the use of inhibitors of which vitamin C is one. There are other actives that have a similar effect such as retinol, mandelic acid and kojic acid, but vitamin C often wins first prize.
A word of warning, however: vitamin C is a notoriously unstable active ingredient that can spoil very quickly when exposed to light, water or oxygen. We’d recommend you steer clear of any vitamin C-based products that are packaged in transparent plastic instead of dark glass bottles. Dr Sebagh, ever the genius, found a workaround with an innovative Pure Vitamin C Powder that is less likely to lose efficacy over time. To activate the formula, simply mix the patented powder with your daily moisturiser and watch it turn into a light cream.
02.
The (gentle) chemical peel
Exfoliation is a great way to shed pigmented skin, but scouring your face with an abrasive scrub is not the way to go about it – and may even exacerbate shadows. Take a more measured approach and use evidence-based chemical exfoliants such as mandelic acid, glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which break up clusters of pigment and encourage the skin’s own renewal process. If your skin can tolerate it, a retinol-based product will have a similar impact by accelerating cell turnover.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare’s Alpha Beta Daily Peel Pads involve two easy steps to improve the surface of the skin instantly. Step one uses five different kinds of alpha and beta hydroxy acids to exfoliate the skin. Step two controls the activity of the acids and regulates the skin’s pH level so that you don’t over-treat the skin and cause inflammation. Top tip: don’t go in guns blazing and purchase the extra-strength version. Start with the Universal Peel and work your way up only if you need to.
03.
The laser treatment
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) – which is sometimes used for hair removal – seeks out areas of pigment in the skin and heats it up. The heat energy breaks apart the pigment, changing its molecular structure in the process. The waste is then flushed out by the immune system since the body no longer recognises it as melanin.
“With IPL, the light is delivered at a particular wavelength that interacts with the brown-red of melanin,” says Dr Jack. “The best machines cause direct damage to excess pigment while minimising energy dispersion and burns to normal tissues. I use the Lumecca system, which has the highest peak power of any system on the market and has a very finely calibrated wavelength setting.” Downtime is minimal compared to other IPL systems, but it can require a couple of sessions to achieve the best results.
_From £350 per session; _drdavidjackclinic.com
04.
The last resort
If you’ve exhausted all other routes and have had no luck, a prescription cream containing hydroquinone that can lighten discolouration might be worth considering. Unsurprisingly, what effectively amounts to bleaching your skin isn’t without drawbacks. In my case, nightly use has shifted dark patches but sensitised the already delicate skin around my cheekbones. The moral of the story: consult with a good dermatologist, start with a low percentage, and build up tolerance over time to avoid your skin barrier becoming compromised. Most dermatologists will prescribe hydroquinone in tandem with other tried-and-tested ingredients like vitamin C or retinol. But bear in mind that like with any topical treatment, results may not be discernible immediately.
05.
The non-negotiable sunscreen
You’ve heard us say it ad nauseam in just about every grooming story on MR PORTER, but a broad-spectrum sunscreen is essential in your daily routine. If you don’t have pigmentation already, then a shield is the best way to prevent it. If you do struggle with pigmentation, then incorporating a sunscreen such as La Mer’s SPF50 UV Protecting Fluid into your routine is the surest way to prevent it from getting worse and incurring more DNA damage. If you’re already treating your skin with any of the methods above, failure to use a daily sunscreen will set you back, so protect your skin accordingly.
Illustration by Mr Iker Ayestaran