Restoring Your Natural Glow
If you’re like the millions of Americans who struggle with skin discoloration and have tried “EVERYTHING” to help counteract those imperfections to no avail, read on.
We encounter all sorts of common skin conditions – brown spots and age spots, acne, scarring, among others, on a daily basis at ReFresh Aesthetic Center. While the causes of those conditions can vary greatly among each person, the causes of pigmentation are far easier to pinpoint and treat.
Your best preservation is protection. Sun damage is the #1 cause of aging and pigmentation in skin. The daily use of a broad spectrum sunscreen is your first and best defense.
Melanin determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes.
- Little melanin production causes fair skin; conversely, heavy melanin production causes dark skin. (One extreme – albinism – is caused by very little or no melanin production, hence the white hair, near-white skin tone, and little to no pigment in eye color.)
- The level of melanin our skin produces is heavily dependent on sun exposure, hormones (i.e., pregnancy), drugs/chemicals, illness, age and environment.
Skin responds to sunlight by producing more melanin, which causes skin to tan and, at times, develop sun spots. Sun exposure, environmental triggers, skin injuries, inflammation and acne can result in hyperpigmentation, which is caused by excess production of melanin and produces dark spots on your skin. Freckles are caused by an inconsistent or uneven production of melanin. It can also cause hypopigmentation, which is the loss of pigmentation in the skin.
Melanin is vital to the health of our skin because it protects us from solar radiation and vitamin D deficiency.
So, what can you do to even the tone of your skin?
Modalities to lighten and brighten your skin are:
- Broadband Light Therapy (commonly referred to as BBL) uses laser to target and lighten red and brown pigmentation in the skin
- Skinpen – helps to break up pigmentation and builds collagen and elastin
- Peels are used to improve discoloration in your skin and overall tone
- Using lightening products such as Lytera*, by SkinMedica and applying a good sunscreen to prevent further skin damage (Did you know??? When you use products and treatments that are designed to help with pigmentation, you are more susceptible to sun damage. Protect, protect, protect!
- Using proven and effective sun protection products such as SkinMedica’s Total Defense and Repair, a light mousse-like full spectrum SPF product which comes in a tinted or translucent formulation. Total Defense and Repair provides protection from UVA, UVB and also infrared rays.
About Lytera*
- Lytera is a lightening product by SkinMedica designed for continual use, twice daily. It reduces the appearance of dark spots, brightens skin, and improves overall skin tone, clarity and texture. Improvements are seen after four weeks, spot reduction is noted after 12 weeks, and continuous reduction is seen consistently after 6 months.
- Lytera suppresses melanocyte production. Melanocytes are the pigment-forming cells in the skin’s epidermis – or top layers – that cause darkening. The more melanocytes you have, the darker your skin.
- Lytera is formulated for all skin types and helps build the barrier function of the skin, which helps prevent skin darkening. Lytera is different from HQ (Hydroquinone), a prescription skin lightener. Lytera suppresses melanocyte production and works on all four aspects of pigment production. It can be used twice daily, continually, whereas hydroquinone can be only be used for 12 weeks at a time.
Schedule a consultation with our licensed skincare provider today. Together, we’ll develop a program that is right for you. Your skin, your way!
