WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT DARK SPOTS?

Dark spots or hyperpigmentation can mar a complexion. They come in many forms and shades from sun spots and melasma to moles.

What is causing your discoloration? It could be advancing age, your hormonal activity, sun exposure and/or skin irritation.

According to Beverly Hills dermatologist Sameer Bashey, “In light-skinned individuals, sun damage is the usual culprit, while in darker-skinned people, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) or melasma (brown to gray-brown patches on the face) is often the cause. PIH can occur with acne, but it also can result from psoriasis, a burn, an injury or a skin rejuvenation treatment.”

Your best defense from sun spots is judicious use of sunscreen such as Sunscreen + Primer SPF 30, Sun Spray SPF 50 or Daily Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF 50.

If you already have dark spots, see your dermatologist. There are more options today than ever before to lighten dark spots, and they don’t all contain Hydroquinone. For example,  ZO^® Non-Hydroquinone Hyperpigmentation System is a multi-product, skin therapy system designed for the treatment of hyperpigmentation without the use of hydroquinone.

The kit includes Retinol Skin Brightener 1%, Daily Power Defense,  Wrinkle + Texture Repair and Brightalive Skin Brightener. When used correctly, Hydroquinone is both safe and effective and remains the gold standard. ZO® Multi-Therapy Rx Hydroquinone System is an all-encompassing system formulated to help treat hyperpigmentation, severe texture damage, sun damage and general skin health restoration. It is comprised of Melamin™ Skin Bleaching & Correcting Crème, Exfoliation Accelerator, 10% Concentration, Melamix™ Skin Lightener & Blending Crème and Daily Power Defense.

Both of these systems contain retinol (an over-the-counter form of vitamin A) which is also highly effective for dark spots.

Sometimes, your dermatologist may need to bring in the bigger guns — superficial chemical peels containing salicylic acid and glycolic acid, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) devices and Q-switched lasers can be used alone or in combination with topicals in light-skinned individuals with dark spots. In darker skin types, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and non-ablative fractionated lasers or very low-level Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers may help, when used with caution by a pigment specialist.

You don’t have to live with dark spots anymore. Depending on the cause, there are multiple treatments to try and combine to lighten the spots and improve your complexion. The first step is to schedule an appointment with a ZO physician near you https://zoskinhealth.com/zo-near-you

from ZO® Skin Health Blog https://ift.tt/2Cy0udr