DermaQuest™ Skin Therapy has chosen skin lightening over skin bleaching due to its
proven safety compared to hydroquinone (the only known skin bleach), which the FDA
has determined can be toxic. Skin lightening can be achieved by changing or suppressing
the behavior of the melanocytes in the basal skin layer. Lightening takes longer
than bleaching, but it is still highly effective and much safer.
Hyperpigmentation is a concentrated and usually localised increase in the skin’s
natural colour, most often caused by sun exposure. It is a common, usually harmless
condition in which patches of skin become darker than the surrounding skin due to
melanin deposits. The visible patches are called “solar lentigines,” commonly referred
to as age or liver spots. These small, darkened patches are usually found on the
hands and face and any other areas that receive frequent sun exposure. Some areas,
such as the left side of the face and the left arm for frequent drivers, will have
more hyperpigmented areas than areas not exposed.
Freckles are small brown spots that can appear anywhere on the body,
most commonly on the face and arms. Freckles are an inherited characteristic, and
are triggered by sun exposure.
melasma or chloasma spots are similar in appearance to solar lentigines
(age spots), but are larger and result from hormonal changes. Pregnancy, for example,
can trigger the overproduction of melanin that causes the “mask of pregnancy” on
the face and darkened skin on the abdomen and other areas. Women who take birth
control pills may also develop hormone-induced hyperpigmentation because their bodies
undergo similar hormonal changes to those that occur during pregnancy. Post-menopausal
hormone replacement therapy can also trigger melasma/chloasma.
Skin conditions such as acne may leave dark spots after the condition clears, known
as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. These spots are caused by the hyperproduction
of melanin during irritation and healing. Injuries to the skin, including some surgeries,
can also cause dark spots.