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This post shows you how to get rid of dark spots and hyperpigmentation for good.
Dark spots and hyperpigmentation are a common skin concern. Our lifestyles and how we take care of our skin play a large part in this, but this doesn’t mean that you have to suffer.
Hyperpigmentation isn’t harmful and it doesn’t mean you have a serious medical condition either. Some dark areas can fade on their own overtime, but sometimes you’ll need a more aggressive treatment to target stubborn areas. It can be frustrating to treat, but the good news is that you can fade dark spots and restore your skin back to a radiant complexion with the right approach!
If you’re wondering how to treat dark spots on your face or how to get rid of melasma, then keep on reading. This post will break down exactly what causes dark spots and hyperpigmentation, the different types that you could be dealing with, and the best products you can use (both drugstore and high-end products).
Explore the post:
What Causes Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation?
What Are The Different Types of Hyperpigmentation?
The Best Drugstore Products to Get Rid of Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation
The Best High-End Products to Get Rid of Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation
What Causes Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation?
1. Sun Exposure: The No. 1 Culprit
UV rays from the sun can trigger melanin production in the skin, and this doesn’t just occur on your face, it can happen across our entire bodies. Our skin produces melanin as a protective mechanism against the sun. However, too much of this can cause skin discoloration.
2. Genetics
The majority of the time, hyperpigmentation is just in your DNA. If you have medium to deep skin (Fitzpatrick Skin Types IV-VI), you’re more likely to develop hyperpigmentation and dark spots after sun exposure or inflammation. Unfortunately, you’ll also be more prone to long-lasting pigmentation and scarring from little injuries such as a bug bite or a scratch.
3. Skin injury and Inflammation
The scientific name for hyperpigmentation caused by injuries and inflammation is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). This includes things such as acne, using chemicals, Atopic Dermatitis, cuts, and even burns.
4. Medications
Some medications can cause pigmentation as a side effect, and some medications can cause hyperpigmentation to appear grey, making it more noticeable. Medications such as certain antibiotics (e.g. tetracycline), NSAIDS, anti-seizure medications, and chemotherapy drugs, can cause this. Always make sure to check with your doctor if you notice unexpected pigmentation when taking a new medication.
5. Tobacco Smoke
We all know that smoking tobacco isn’t good for your health, but it’s not good for your skin either! Cigarette smoke causes dark spots because it contains thousands of harmful chemicals, such as free radicals which can damage skin cells and trigger inflammation. Nicotine also causes blood vessels to constrict so less oxygen and nutrients reach your skin, also causing hyperpigmentation around mouth. Additionally, it also makes the skin more sensitive to UV damage, amplifying the risk of sun-induced pigmentation.
6. Hormones
Hormones can play a huge role in developing hyperpigmentation, particularly melasma. This usually appears on the cheeks, forehead, and above the lips. Hormonal birth control and hormone replacement therapy can trigger melasma, as well as pregnancy. Melasma is harder to treat, so you’ll need a long-term consistent routine to combat this.
7. Blue Light
All of our electronic devices use blue light, known by its official name as High Energy Visible (HEV) light. It comes from your phone, laptop, or even LED lighting, which can worsen pigmentation. Luckily, there are now settings on devices where you can choose to lessen the blue light emitted from your phone called “night shift”. This adjusts the display colors to the warmer end of the spectrum. Iron oxides have been found to protect against blue light, which is lucky since there are now modern sunscreens that include this key ingredient!
8. Overdoing skincare
I know we all love our skincare, but sometimes too much of a good thing can backfire. This includes things like retinoids, acids, or essential oils which are exfoliating and can irritate your skin when used too much. This leads to inflammation which then triggers hyperpigmentation. Do not use any retinoids without a proper moisturizer or SPF or products that contain a lot of fragrance.
What Are The Different Types of Hyperpigmentation?
It’s important to understand which type of pigmentation you’re having a concern with, as then you can tailor your treatment to get rid of dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Here are the most common types of hyperpigmentation that dermatologists recognize:
1. Melasma
Melasma is a pigmentation disorder related to hormones and is usually chronic. The main causes are pregnancy, hormone replacement therapies, birth control, heat, sun exposure, and stress. It appears on the face as blotchy patches usually on the cheeks, upper lip, chin, and forehead. It’s most common in women, particularly during pregnancy and has the coined name “mask of pregnancy”.
2. Sunspots (Solar Lentigines)
As the name suggests, this type of hyperpigmentation is caused by the sun, with long-term sun exposure and tanning beds being the culprit. These sun spots are also called age spots or liver spots, and usually affect people over 30 the most who have fair skin or a history of sun exposure. They appear as brown or black spots that are small and flat, and can be found anywhere on the body that has suffered the most sun damage (e.g. face, hands, chest, and shoulders).
3. Freckles (Ephelides)
Freckles are genetically inherited: you’re either born with them or not! Freckles can appear darker overtime with UV exposure, since it triggers melanin production in people who already have them. They appear as scattered, light-to medium brown spots on the face, usually on areas most exposed to the sun such as the cheeks and nose. Freckles are more common in people with lighter skin and red/blonde hair, but really anyone can be both with them.
4. Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)
This is a very common cause of hyperpigmentation that is the result of eczema, acne, psoriasis, cuts, burns, or harsh treatments such as chemical peels or laser therapies. Essentially, PIH appears as dark spots after injury and inflammation of the skin. If you’ve ever had any scarring after injury, PIH is the reason. It can affect everyone, and it’s super important to keep skin moisturized and not let it get too dry, as it could lead to more pigmentation.
5. Drug-Induced Hyperpigmentation
As explored earlier in this post, certain drugs and medications can cause changes in the pigmentation of your skin. Hyperpigmentation arising from this can vary in appearance, from blue-gray, brown, or black patches depending on skin tone and the medication used.
6. Lichen Planus Pigmentosus
This is a rare cause of hyperpigmentation. It’s an inflammatory condition that can lead to dark brown or slate-gray patches on your skin, usually on the face, neck or armpits. The cause for this is unknown but is linked to autoimmune conditions and can sometimes be triggered by UV rays or certain medications.
The Best Drugstore Products to Get Rid of Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation
There are a ton of skincare products out there that can help with dark spots and hyperpigmentation, ranging from drug store to high-end options to help get rid of dark spots and hyperpigmentation. These products usually contain clinically proven ingredients that dermatologists trust, such as Vitamin C, azelaic acid, retinoids, niacinamide, and more.
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
This drug-store product is fantastic for dealing with an uneven skin tone due to dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and is one of the best serums for dark spots. It contains Alpha Arbutin which is a natural skin brightener, and hyaluronic acid which is great for hydration and helps absorb product into the skin. Alpha arbutin works by inhibiting melanin production, meaning that it stops melanocytes from producing the darkening pigment melanin. It can help fade existing dark spots too. It’s suitable for all skin types and comes as a water-based serum. You can also purchase an Alpha Arbutin solution from Amazon: Alpha Arbutin 2% Serum
Ambi Skincare Fade Cream (Hydroquinone free)
This product is best used as a remedy for dark spots on face caused by acne and as a melasma treatment. The Skincare Fade cream from Ambi contains niacinamide and Aloe Vera to help hydrate the skin, and Vitamin C to brighten and reduce the appearance of dark spots. It also contains encapsulated retinol which smooths blemishes that often occur with acne, as well as salicylic acid which is used to exfoliate and help keep the skin clear of new acne blemishes. It’s suitable for all skin types and can be used in the day and nighttime.
medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum
Korean skincare has some of the best and affordable products for uneven skin and skin discoloration treatments. This pink peptide serum contains five different types of peptide complexes, which can stimulate your skin to make collagen. The key ingredient, Rose PDRN, gives your skin a glowing complexion as it helps to stimulate skin renewal and repair. It’s suitable for all skin types since the formula is gentle and mild and can be used daily.
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
Retinols are great at fixing dark spots and work fantastically in any discoloration correcting serum. They speed up the cell’s turnover so they replicate more quickly, in turn causing dark marks to fade quicker. The Resurfacing Retinol Serum also contains niacinamide to soothe and brighten skin, and ceramides to repair the skin barrier since some retinols can be irritating, especially if you’ve never used them before. This product is a best serum for hyperpigmentation
La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum, Dark Spot Corrector
If you’re looking for how to remove dark spots caused by pimples, the Mela B3 serum from La Roche-Posay is perfect. It contains MelasylTM, their newest ingredient that helps to visibly reduce discoloration from sun spots, dark spots caused by acne, and age spots. It also contains 10% niacinamide, and this high concentration of niacinamide acts as an antioxidant to help visibly fade dark spots. This serum is also water-based containing La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring water which contains lots of selenium, a natural antioxidant. This product is suitable for all skin types, but if you have more sensitive skin then start off applying the serum once every few days gradually to once daily.
The Best High-End Products to Get Rid of Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation
Paula’s Choice Clinical Discoloration Repair Serum
Paula’s Choice has some great products to target dark spots, sun spots, and post-acne marks. This serum’s key ingredient is Tranexamic Acid which slows down and stops the production of melanin from skin cells into the epidermis, preventing dark spots from forming and removing those already there. It also contains bakuchiol which is a plant-based, vegan alternative to retinol. As well as helping to brighten hyperpigmentation, it’s also great at combating wrinkles and reducing acne, and is the best treatment for melasma on face. When using this product, start off applying it three times a week and gradually increase up to twice daily.
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum
This serum contains Vitamin C with peptides and AHA to target hyperpigmentation and dark spots and is the best Vitamin C serum out there. What’s great about this product is that the Vitamin C complex is highly stable, meaning it won’t degrade overtime and maintains a high potency no matter how many times you open the bottle. It also contains lactic acid that evens out the look of dark spots, and chia seed oil as an antioxidant that can also strengthen the skin’s barrier.
Topicals Faded Brightening and Clearing Serum
The Topicals Faded Brightening snd Clearing Serum is fantastic at reducing discoloration. It’s special ingredient, Kojic Acid, has skin-lightening properties and it stops melanin production by directly inhibiting a key enzyme in its synthesis pathway. It also contains licorice root that lightens the skin through it’s active compound liquiritin. Don’t mix this product with other exfoliating products such as AHAs, BHAs, and retinols, as it will cause irritation.
Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum
If you’re looking to fade your dark spots fast or how to get rid of hyperpigmentation in a week, then this serum is the one for you. This intensive serum by Murad rapidly reduces the look of dark spots and melasma, fuelled by its patented Resorcinol technology. This is a compound that reduces the intensity of dark spots by breaking down keratin in the skin’s outermost layer, which then removes hard and roughened skin. It also contains Tranexamic Acid and Glycolic Acid to brighten and even out the skin tone. It’s suitable for all skin types, but start off using it slowly and work your way up to daily.
Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Serum
Formulated with Activated C and White Birch and Peony Extracts, this dark spot serum is one of the best Vitamin C serums for hyperpigmentation and reducing dark spots and evening out skin discolorations. Activated C is a stable form of Vitamin C that starts to work straight away on reducing hyperpigmentation once it’s on the skin, one of the greatest Vitamin C benefits. White Birch is great for hydrating the skin, working well with Activated C. This serum also contains salicylic acid, a BHA, that exfoliates the skin and reduces blemishes. This product can be used once daily and is suitable for all skin types.
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