In partnership with SA’s top medical aesthetic companies
You’ve consulted the experts and had the recommended treatments that have removed the excess pigmentation, leaving your complexion even and beautiful. Now you can relax! Sorry to say, not really!
We’ve mentioned before that hyperpigmentation is one of the most difficult skin issues to treat, but it must be stressed that because of its complexity, treating it is not a once-off deal. Maintaining results and preventing future pigmentation is a longterm and continuous commitment, and a holistic skin-care plan is essential.
The first order of skin maintenance is PROTECTION
- What stimulates our skin to produce pigment? Sun exposure, of course. And we South Africans get sunshine in spades – summer and winter. So the order of every day is daily sun protection – every single day of the year, or all your past efforts will be pointless – especially if you have hormonal pigmentation (melasma), and your complexion has a darker tone. It’s scary to think that even one day of unprotected sun exposure can start the whole cycle all over again.
- How do we protect our skin?
- Avoid the sun at its most dangerous time – between 11am and 4pm
- Using UV-protective hat, clothing and eyewear
- Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with minimum SPF 30+ (preferably SPF 50+) every day. We like Lamelle Helase Photo-Repair Cream SPF 50 and NeoStrata Sheer Physical Protection SPF 50. You will find a selection of superior sunscreen solutions you need here: https://onlineskinshop.co.za/product-category/spf/
- Anti-oxidant supplements such as OvelleD3 are clinically proven to raise resistance levels against the sun’s harmful UV rays, which helps to reduce the melanin content in the skin down the line.
- Heliocare Ultra Oral capsules, it protects the skin against UV damage from the inside as well as fighting free radical damage. Can be taken daily as a supplement or just on the days you know you will be outside the entire day – athletes such as cyclers or golfers.
Next up: PREVENTIVE skin treatment
Daily use of anti-pigmentation ranges such as NeoStrata’s Enlighten range and Lamelle Luminesce ensure that your skin’s pigmentation production remains functioning healthily and effectively. Your Skin Renewal therapy team will instruct you on how to fit these in to your skin-care regime, especially if you want to tackle other skin concerns.
Lifestyle and dietary adjustments
If your hyperpigmentation arose from medical causes such as unbalanced hormones, leaky gut and uncontrolled inflammation, you need to address this as a chronic illness that may need lifelong treatment and management, or it may reoccur. So sticking to your doctor-designed eating plan and lifestyle regimen is critically important.
Even for those who don’t have this issue, lifestyle choices are vitally important. You know what you have to do: eat a healthy, antioxidant-rich diet; take regular exercise, but not to excess; no smoking, get eight hours of good-quality sleep, drink water!
Lastly, be vigilant!
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, or because we slip up (we’re only human, after all), pigmentation can re-occur. Remember that what you see on the surface has been happening deep in your skin for weeks. Don’t delay. Visit your Skin Renewal clinic for an assessment and treatment to nip it in the bud before it gets worse.
It’s also a good idea to go for a maintenance treatment once every few months to keep up the good work. Your therapist or skin doctor will advise you on your ideal professional maintenance plan.
For more information on pigmentation as well as hypopigmentation and the treatment thereof, visit Skin Renewal on www.skinrenewal.co.za or contact 0861 SKIN SA (754 672).
Take the quick Beyond Beauty Survey and you could win a R2 000 Skin Renewal voucher to spend in our online store, with free delivery within South Africa. T&Cs apply.