Posts Tagged ‘skin discoloration’

Skin Discoloration and Your Treatment Options November 29th, 2009

Author: Cindy Charlesbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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If youre experiencing uneven skin tone or skin discoloration, the first thing you need to do is to have it checked to ensure that you dont have an underlying skin disease. Two diseases that can cause uneven skin tone as part of their symptoms are tinea versicolor and vitiligo. For tinea versicolor, patches of the skin turns lighter or darker in color and is caused by a skin infection. The infection is caused, specifically by a type of fungi, thought by dermatologist as feeding off on the skins natural oils and dead skin cells, allowing them to spread to a large part of the skin. Vitiligo is a loss of skin pigmentation causing light or pale spots on areas of the skin. It is thought of as a genetic condition with some causes that can be traced to the immune system. Both diseases affect mainly young adults and those in adolescence. Just to make sure, check with your doctor to make sure that the discoloration is not linked to any serious skin diseases.

Mostly, though, discoloration of the skin may be caused by uneven pigmentation that may be the result of sun exposure or ineffective removal of dead skin cells. Below are some ways you can remedy skin discoloration. Please bear in mind that discoloration caused by a skin disease requires a separate and more serious treatment.

• You may look into using Kojic acid. It was discovered in Japan in 1989 and is a natural product that is derived from fungi. It inhibits the formation of pigment and works on the skins upper layer. It is said to be gentle on the skin.
• If your skin discoloration is caused by dead cells, using a treatment such as Alpha hydroxy acids may help. It removes dead or old cells faster and can also help lighten up age spots as well.
• Hydroquinon may also help although one of its side effects seems to be skin irritation.
• There are also suggested home remedies such as the use of sour milk. Apparently, the lactic acid found in sour milk helps to peel off dead layers of the skin and allows for its rejuvenation.
• Vitamin C intake is very much recommended. Eating fruits such as apples and fruits containing citrus can help the skin especially when it comes to sun exposure.
• You may also get the help of a qualified and reputable dermatologist in helping you to choose a topical cream that can reduce the discoloration. Always make sure to ask for any side effects or contraindications before applying the cream and follow the prescribed dosage and schedule of application.
• It is also advised that you increase your intake of foods that contain folic acid. Foods rich in folic acid include green leaves, liver, whole wheat, oats and barley. These ensure that your skin remains healthy and that you also get a good dose of Vitamin B.

Always make sure to consult first with a doctor or dermatologist before beginning any of these or other treatments on your skin.

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Unveiling the Pregnancy Mask: A Challenge for Women November 16th, 2009

Author: Portia David
Source: articleage.com

Have you ever wondered why pregnant women get darker skin pigmentation during their pregnancy? The darkening pigmentation, called chloasma or the mask of pregnancy (also known as melasma), is associated with the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. This may also be attributed to race, because women who have darker skin tones are more prone to skin changes. The skin disorder is very common especially for those young women with brownish skin tones and is characterized by tan or brown blotches in the face.
Although chloasma is just a common skin disorder, this can be a real cosmetic issue for women because the discoloration of the skin is found on the sun-exposed area of the face. This also affects the face symmetrically, particularly in the cheeks, nose, forehead and upper lip. For pregnant women, the skin brownish blotches appears in their forearms and other body areas that are exposed to the sun. Also, pregnancy increases melanin production that is why pregnant women are more exposed to skin discoloration especially at the latter stage of the pregnancy period. Further, studies show that 70% of pregnant women are affected with chloasma. In fact, three out of the four pregnant women experiences the darkening of the skin tone during pregnancy. Moreover, one third of women who took birth control pills or oral contraceptives have the same skin changes because of the amount of estrogen and progesterone intake during birth control.
Since skin discoloration is not just for pregnant women, can we in any ways avoid masked by chloasma? Check out the following tips:
1. Protection against the sun is still the leading prevention against chloasma. We still need sun exposure, best in the early morning but sun exposure from midday? Think twice! Make sure that you do not expose yourself to sun more often than necessary.
2. You can use sunscreen everyday as this also prevents skin cancer and wrinkles. Use sunscreens with broad-spectrum protection or against both UVA and UVB rays. Use protection not only during sunny days but whenever you are outdoors. Apply strong sunscreen if you are outdoors. Make use of even a handy umbrella, it is your last option when all shades are gone.
3. You may try using concealing make-ups. Another options are the skin care products that have combination of tretinoin cream or bleaching creams that contain hydroquinone. However, always consult your dermatologist before trying out these products or you may want to solicit an expert’s medical opinion on this.
4. Be cautious in using birth control pills after your pregnancy. Consult your doctor immediately if you noticed changes in your skin tone. You might consider switching to another birth control option.
5. Ask referral from your doctor for a dermatologist if you noticed that your skin tone is still darkening and blotchy after your pregnancy. You may want to try alternative medications from your dermatologist like combinations of tropical medications etc.
6. If you are planning to become pregnant soon or again, continue to protect your skin against the sun and make sure that you consult your doctor before trying out any medical treatment.
7. When you notice any changes in your skin tone, immediately consult your doctor for possible symptoms of skin cancer or other medical problems. In that case, appropriate treatment will be made if deemed necessary.
Since skin discoloration affects anyone, it is recommended that we take care of our skin and make sure that we do not expose ourselves in too much sunlight. For pregnant women, it is expected that after the pregnancy, skin discoloration will eventually disappear. It is true that we have various skin care products that would help us protect our skins. However, we must always consider the fact that these skin care products cannot replace personal care specifically, sun exposure avoidance.
Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.
For up to date links and information about Pregnancy, please go to http://PregnancyClue.com.

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