How to treat pigmentation before summer: The best aesthetics treatments for clearer skin
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
How to treat pigmentation before summer: The best aesthetics treatments for clearer skin
As the days begin to grow longer and brighter, many of us are beginning to think about healthy skin for the summer months ahead. However, increased sun exposure during the warmer months can make pigmentation concerns like sunspots melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can become more noticeable and difficult to manage.
In this blog, award-winning Aesthetic Doctor and skin health specialist, Dr Christine Or advises that treating pigmentation before summer allows us to restore skin clarity whilst minimising the risk of further discolouration, and discusses effective and clinically proven aesthetics treatments to help achieve clearer and more luminous skin.
Understanding pigmentation
Pigmentation occurs when melanin, which is the pigment responsible for the colour of our skin, is produced unevenly. Pigmentation can be triggered by various factors including sun exposure, hormonal changes, inflammation or acne, and the natural ageing process. Unfortunately, without treatment, pigmentation can deepen over time, especially with UV exposure, which is why early intervention is so important.
Why treat pigmentation before summer?
Treating pigmentation ahead of the summer months offers many advantages including:
More effective treatment outcomes: our skin responds better when not actively exposed to intense UV, so planning your treatments before summer is important.
Reduced risk of worsening: addressing pigmentation early can help to prevent it from becoming more stubborn and more difficult to treat.
Improved confidence: patients who are treated ahead of the summer benefit from being able to wear lighter makeup during the warmer months, so they look and feel their most confident selves.
The best aesthetics treatments for pigmentation
Medical-grade chemical peels
Chemical peels are a highly effective way to gently exfoliate the skin and reduce pigmentation. The Obagi Blue Peel Radiance contains a unique blend of salicylic, glycolic and lactic acids effectively exfoliates the uppermost damaged skin layers and promotes cell turnover, leaving your skin refreshed, renewed and radiant after just one treatment with little to no downtime. Chemical peels are best for skin concerns such as pigmentation, acne, and photodamage leading to improved texture and tone.
Improvement will be seen after just one treatment, but for best results you will usually need a course of 4 to 6 treatments spaced 3-4 weeks apart.
Radiofrequency Microneedling
RF Microneedling is an advanced treatment combining both medical microneedling and radiofrequency to rejuvenate the skin by stimulating the body’s natural healing process to encourage collagen production of the dermis resulting in anti-ageing and skin tightening. Its benefits included improved skin texture and tone, reduction in the appearance of pigmentation and the enhanced absorption of active skincare ingredients.
The optimum result is achieved over a course of treatments and over a period of months. Depending on the treatment indications a course of 3 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart is usually recommended.
Prescription-strength skincare
To treat certain types of pigmentation such as melasma, prescription-only topical skin treatments can really help as their formulations work at a deeper level within the skin to regulate melanin production and encourage healthy cell turnover. Examples of prescription-strength skincare include retinoic acid (tretinoin), azelaic acid and short-term use of hydroquinone, all of which must be used under expert supervision and can significantly help to improve pigmentation are often used in conjunction with in-clinic treatments for long-lasting results.
In-clinic aesthetics treatments are the most effective when support by a personalised at-home skincare routine, and key ingredients which help to treat pigmentation include Vitamin C to brighten and protect the skin, retinoids which support cell renewal, niacinamide which helps to reduce inflammation and uneven tone and SPF which is essential and one of the most important steps to prevent further pigmentation.
The importance of personalised treatment plans
Pigmentation can vary greatly in depth and cause depending on the patient so it is important to have a consultation with an Aesthetic Doctor or qualified skin expert to give you an accurate diagnosis and personalised treatment plan which may combine several treatments and approaches to give you the most optimal results. This will not only help protect the longer-term health of your skin, particularly when managing more complex conditions like melasma.
Why choose Dr. Christine Medical Aesthetics?
If you are considering starting your pigmentation treatments ahead of summer, book your consultation with Dr Christine Or for expert guidance on the most suitable options for your skin to give it the best possible chance to respond, recover and glow.
