What is Hypopigmentation?

What is Hypopigmentation? The colour of our skin is unique to you and plays a big role in defining your appearance. Your skin pigmentation or skin colour comes down to the presence of melanin, the pigment responsible for your skin, hair, and eye colour.

When you start to see skin discolouration, more specifically light patches of skin that are different from the surrounding skin areas, this is known as hypopigmentation. Some people may have just one small spot of change, whereas others may see larger patches. Either way, it can cause a noticeable change to your appearance.

But what is hypopigmentation and what causes it? Our skin experts at Doctors Tatiana + Rishi will answer these questions and discuss the different hypopigmentation treatment options we provide to help reduce light patches of skin.

You can also book an appointment to talk to a trained practitioner about what treatment will work best for you and your skin type.

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Before we talk about the causes and treatments, you need to understand what hypopigmentation is and what it looks like. You may think that darker skin types are the only ones that can develop this, but, people of all ages, skin colours and skin types can be affected by hypopigmentation.

It is a skin condition whereby skin becomes lighter in colour than your normal skin tone. This happens due to changes in your melanin production, which can be the result of a number of causes including a skin injury or medical condition.

While hypopigmentation does not cause you any harm in itself, the cause of it can. For this reason, it is always advisable to get a check-up with your GP or a skincare expert to identify why your skin colour is changing.

What does hypopigmentation look like?

Below are the most common characteristics of hypopigmented skin:

Lighter patches of skin – that might be slightly lighter than your normal skin colour or completely white.

Uneven skin colour and skin tone – the light patches of skin may form in one area or across multiple areas, which can give you a blemished appearance.

Sensitivity to sun exposure – if you have hypopigmented skin, you are more prone to sunburn and other forms of sun damage.

A change to hair and eye colour – while the skin is mostly affected by hypopigmentation, in some cases, it can also lead to your hair and eye colour going lighter.

What are the main causes of hypopigmentation and changes in skin pigment?

There is more than one reason why you can develop light patches of skin on your face and body. Hypopigmentation can result from:

Skin injures

When you heal from a cut, burn or skin infection, this can leave behind a pigmented scar that is lighter than your normal skin colour. This is also known as post-inflammatory hypopigmentation.

Sun exposure

You might know that too much sun exposure can lead to dark patches of skin forming, known as hyperpigmentation, but it can also cause the skin to lighten. This is because excessive sun can cause the skin to stop producing melanin in some instances.

Skin conditions

These might include autoimmune diseases such as Vitiligo. This is a condition where your immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells, which leads to light patches of skin forming.

Other conditions such as atopic dermatitis or eczema, pityriasis alba, and albinism can also result in parts of your skin becoming lighter in colour.

Skin cancer, such as melanoma can also cause skin to become lighter. These patches of skin are usually pale pink or red.

Genetic factors

Some individuals may have a genetic predisposition that can impact how much melanin the skin cells known as melanocytes produce.

Treatments for hypopigmentation and skin discoloration

People often think that you can treat hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation in the same way. While in some instances, this can be true, with hypopigmentation you also need to understand the underlying cause of it to find the best treatment.

At Doctors Tatiana + Rishi in London, we offer the following hypopigmentation treatments:

Medical skincare

You may find that topical corticosteroids and creams may help to stimulate pigmentation in your skin. This may take a few weeks or even months to see any results. They also work much better when paired with laser treatments or light therapy.

When you meet with one of our practitioners, they will discuss what form of topical skin care will work for you, and create a tailored skin regime.

Laser treatments

At our London clinic, we use CO2 laser treatments to help with hypopigmentation. CO2 lasers are an ablative laser that works by creating small areas of trauma to the skin. This causes your body to trigger its wound-healing response, which stimulates new collagen production.

We use this treatment in a careful and controlled way to encourage the melanocytes to regenerate, which are the skin cells responsible for producing melanin, which gives your skin its colour. Through the healing process, it is possible that re-pigmentation will occur and you will achieve a more even skin tone.

Chemical peels

A chemical peel is an exfoliating treatment that involves applying a chemical solution made of fruits and other natural acids to the skin. Chemical peels can come in different strengths depending on what skin condition you are aiming to treat.

We use a chemical peel to help improve skin tone and skin texture, as well as promote skin cell regeneration. We use a mild peel to refresh the skin, and deeper peels to help resurface the skin.

At Doctors Tatiana + Rishi, we also have chemical peels that are designed specifically for hypopigmentation treatment. They combine natural acids with other ingredients that help to reduce inflammation in the skin. They provide you with great results and require very little downtime.

Exosomes

This is a topical gel that we apply after treatments including microneedling, SecretRF and laser treatments. Exosomes are micro-vesicles that have thousands of growth factors, cytokines and nutrients in them. This mix of ingredients helps to stimulate new collagen and elastin, while also boosting hydration. They also help to regenerate skin cells and reduce inflammation in the skin.

Get expert advice on hypopigmentation treatment

If you are looking for an effective treatment for hypopigmentation, Doctors Tatiana + Rishi can provide expert guidance and personalised treatment options. We will look at the cause of your light skin patches and create a bespoke treatment plan that will work for your unique needs. This may include one or a combination of the above treatments.

Your journey to a more even skin tone starts with a consultation. This is our chance to get to know you better and for you to get to know us. It also helps you feel confident in what treatment options are available to you and what will give you the best results.

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