Skincare is something deeply personal to each of us. Perhaps that is why finding the right routine and products for our specific needs can be so difficult. Especially when it comes to hyperpigmentation and skin breakouts. They can be stubborn, after all, and some are harsh on the skin – not exactly what we want.
Thankfully, there are options available to treat these things. While they might not be medically dangerous, we all prefer looking, and most importantly feeling our best. We deserve to go through the world feeling confident and happy with our appearance.
What is Hyperpigmentation?
Before we can tackle our problem areas, it’s probably best to know what they are, beginning with Hyperpigmentation with hyperpigmentation. For some information on it from American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, you can look here: https://www.aocd.org/page/Hyperpigmentation
As it probably sounds, this occurs when there is a spot on your skin that is darker than the surrounded pigment. There are a few different types, and really, they can happen to anyone, no matter your skin color. One type that is currently rather in fashion is actually freckles, but other types will usually benefit from some sort of treatment.
Some are called “melasma.” This is when there is a change in your skin due to hormones. They often happen because of pregnancy or reaching menopause but can occur from other shifts in your body as well. Birth control medication can trigger this change in your skin if you are taking it.
The other form of hyperpigmentation I will discuss today are “lentigines.” You might know them as age or liver spots. These tend to occur naturally as we age. Additionally, they can come from spending too much time in the sun. Let them serve as a reminder to use your sunscreen.
What are Breakouts?
This condition is usually referred to as acne. You might be thinking this is pretty obvious – most of us have experienced it and know what it is. We tend to associate it with our teenage years, but don’t be fooled – acne can happen to anyone and can certainly persist into our adulthood.
For some of the more medical terms about acne, you can look at this page from Mayo Clinic. Breakouts are caused by oil and dead skin cells clogging up our pores and forming a blemish in the skin. There are a few different visible types.
The first are whiteheads, which are what many of us think about when we consider acne. They are clogged pores that are closed, and there is a visible white bump. They can be large or small. Another is blackheads, which are open clogged pores, and appear as little black bumps on the skin.
Another fairly common type of breakout are pimples, which are bumps on the skin filled with pus. It’s often tempting to pop those pimples, but this is definitely not advised. It can leave scarring on the skin and be quite painful!
Finally, there are large bumps under the skin – boils or cysts. Most of these breakouts happen on the face, or on our back, shoulders, or chest.
Treating Our Skin
If these things sound distasteful and unpleasant, that’s because they are. Getting breakouts or hyperpigmentation on our skin is never fun. Thankfully there are plenty of products for skin pigmentation that can help with problem.
In some cases, it is okay to leave it alone. However, this isn’t recommended. Sometimes our bodies work like clockwork, and we know when we’ll have a breakout.
Setting up a routine and picking products with ingredients right for us is key in helping alleviate skin pigmentation that we aren’t fond of. Be it a painful breakout, a sunspot, liver spot, age spot, or something else – we deserve to go out in to the world feeling confident in ourselves. There is no reason to suffer through skin problems when treatments exist.
