“I remember my grandmother having a large, brown spot on the left side of her face. I see some brown spots on my cheeks starting to become larger now.” The woman sharing this is sitting in front of the Visia skin analysis camera waiting to get started. She is a pretty, forty-something year-old who says she doesn’t go outside without sunscreen, a hat, and long sleeves. She has Asian skin. Her skin is sprinkled with brown spots along both cheekbones and some darker, condensed brown areas on her forehead. She has come to clara for a skin consultation “because I have tried so many things and wonder what else I can do for my skin.”

Why Asian Skin Over-Pigments

Environment, personal sun protection habits, and genetics all play a role in photo-aging. All races share a similar number of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. One key difference is in the amount of pigment they produce in different races. Asian skin is prone to hyper-pigmentation, melasma, and age spots because it produces more melanin (pigment). The pursuit of methods for more even skin tone has been around for thousands of years in many Asian cultures.

Different Factors, Different Pathways

Today, we are all more aware of the sun’s role in aging the skin. UV radiation triggers the skin to activate different responses. Producing more pigment as a way to block some of this UV from reaching the dermis is a natural process for all skin tones. For skin types that easily produce more pigment, identified as Fitzpatrick skin types III – V, pigmentation concerns are common. Heat, stress, and hormones also play a part in why pigment gets activated.

Can Hyper-Pigmentation Be "Cured"?

“I have tried different things, like IPL, and it kind of went away, but then it comes right back,” says Vanguard Aesthetics patient Sandra B. about the brown spot on her left cheek, as aesthetic nurse, Mandy, starts her Renew Peel treatment. Pigmentation issues don’t have a permanent fix because the melanocytes will continue overproducing the extra pigment. Treatments and products that stop melanocytes from producing melanin or inhibit the ability for the excess pigment to make it to the surface of the skin are the current go-to options. Superficial peels, like the Renew Peel, are good treatment options for Asian skin because they are not aggressive to skin that tends to be more sensitive.

Where to Go Next

To follow Sandra’s Renew Peel experience for hyper-pigmentation, click here. To learn more about your own options for treating pigmentation concerns, schedule a complimentary skin analysis with a clara Skin Consultant by calling 719-579-5555. If you have a troubling spot, especially if it is new or changing, please call Vanguard Skin Specialists at 719-355-1585 to schedule a skin check with a dermatology provider. All skin tones are subject to skin cancer.