Clear beautiful radiant skin is something every woman desires. As women age, their skin loses its innate radiance because of dark spots or hyperpigmentation (caused by melanin accumulation). Hyperpigmentation is largely impacted by genetics and/or ethnicity. Especially, people belonging to the brown-skinned women of African, South East Asian and Hispanic origin, hyperpigmentation leads to an uneven skin tone.
Sun damage and the aging may stop you from getting clear and radiant skin. Other things that may affect clear skin are dryness and breakouts usually caused by hormonal fluctuations related to different things in a person’s life such as stress and menopause. The permanent way of lightening your skin is undergoing skin whitening treatment.
How Skin Whitening Works
What is the goal of skin lightening and how is skin whitening treatment done? Well, skin lightening helps not only to bleach your skin but eliminate unwanted blemishes by inhibiting melanin, which provides the skin its color.
Our skin consists of various layers such as the basal layer. In this layer, our skin cells form and divide to form an outer skin layer. This layer consists of a cell known as the melanocyte. This cell transports melanosomes which are cells that contain pigment (melanin) giving us our skin color. The melanocyte is an enzyme called tyrosinase. This enzyme produces melanin. Hyperpigmentation is a result of the overproduction of this enzyme.
To find the perfect remedy for this, many skin lightening products have been made specifically to inhibit tyrosinase, essentially stopping it from overproducing melanin. Skin lightening products that include tyrosinase inhibitors are not only for people with hyperpigmentation but also for people with even skin tone as these products prevent hyperpigmentation in the future. Even with hyperpigmentation, it is far easier to prevent hyperpigmentation than to correct it once. Unfortunately, even if hyperpigmentation is corrected it can return like a bad penny as our skin has a memory. Another reason skin lightening is perfect for people with even skin is sometimes hyperpigmentation lies beneath the surface of the skin and will affect people in later life.
Skin Lightening is a treatment used by dermatology clinics that helps reduce pigmentation, lightens discoloration, minimizes blemishes and evens out skin tone. You can get an even skin tone either with skincare products or any type of medical procedure. Skin lightening products can impact discolorations such as age spots and hyperpigmentation, acne breakouts and bruise. The different skin whitening treatments are administered via injections. This results in white skin while eliminating blemishes such as scars and pigmentation marks. They bring a vast improvement in the texture of the skin and make them more supple and moisturized. Besides improving the texture of the skin it also improves fine lines and wrinkles. Skin Whitening Injections is a versatile solution for most of your skin related problems.
So, what is the most commonly used skin lightening ingredients that lighten and whitens the skin?
Some Common Skin Whitening Ingredients
- Arbutin
- Kojic Acid
- Retinol
- Alpha Hydroxy Acids
- Vitamin C
Discussing the same in details,
- Arbutin
Are you worried about harmful chemical agents that as damaging effects on your skin? Arbutin is an extract of the Bearberry plant, which helps in the skin de-pigmentation and lightening of the skin. It is an effective skin treating sunburn also regulating melanogenesis. It is a safer procedure in comparison to using harsh chemicals agents. It is a great treatment process that helps attain lighter skin and get rid of unwanted pigmentation.
- KojicAcid
KojicAcid is a compound, derived from various fungi. Kojic acid is a popular skin lightening agent and one of the best anti-aging treatments because of the effects on a protein called tyrosinase. How does kojic acid act as a specific function of tyrosinase, this function is known as catecholase function. The catecholase function is the most important step in forming the compound melanin. Melanin, as we know is the primary pigment in the skin. Since this inhibits tyrosinase or the protein’s ability to make melanin, kojic acid can prevent skin pigmentation, which can help lighten the skin’s tone.
- Retinol
Retinol is a Vitamin A derivatives that include tretinoin, retinol, and retinaldehyde causing trigger cell division in the skin helping in rapid cell turnover and exfoliation. It also helps add a bonus as retinols can encourage collagen production and helps in thickening the dermis that improves the complexion and helps in the reduction of the appearance of wrinkles. Retinols can cause irritation in the skin, so when you are choosing a retinol product go for the one of the lowest strength and then gradually move up to products with higher concentrations.
- Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Alpha hydroxy acids are acids derived from fruit- and foods. It increases exfoliation and helps loosen the bonds that bring together keratinocytes that allow them to flake or fall off the skin easily. There are a number of several alpha hydroxy acids, some of the more famous ones are lactic acid, derived from milk and dairy), glycolic acid that is derived from sugar), mandelic acid, derived from the bitter almond, citric acid derived from citrus fruits, malic acid derived from apples and tartaric acid derived from grapes.
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C can help you achieve flawless whitened skin. But, harmful chemical treatments may put you off conventional treatments. Vitamin C which is known as ascorbic acid is a gentle alternative to the harsh skin bleaching products available in chemist shops or beauty shops. It can be either ingested or it can be applied topically on the skin helping the skin stay firm and elastic. It is helpful in providing skin repair and helping you achieve bright and beautiful skin.
Some Common Skin Whitening Procedures
- Microdermabrasion
- Chemical peels
- Glutathione
- Mesotherapy
- Ablative Laser –resurfacing
- Q-switched laser
Discussing the same in details,
- Microdermabrasion
Are you looking for that perfect whitening treatment that will also help reduce ugly dark spots? A dermatologist will help you get the microdermabrasion treatment. This treatment is very similar to smoothening a rough piece of wood with the help of sandpaper. That’s right this treatment consists of an abrasive surface that sloughs off dead and damaged skin cells providing fair and radiant skin minus the ugly age spots.
- Chemical peels
This is one of the most effective skin whitening treatments, chemical peels, and it is a treatment in which physicians apply peeling solutions known as the alpha hydroxy acid to the skin that exfoliates the pigmented and dark skin. It is one of the most potent facial blemishes that fix skin issues such as uneven skin pigmentation and wrinkles. The chemical peels lend a full facial rejuvenation by revealing gorgeous whitened skin.
- Glutathione
It is an antioxidant that one can find naturally in human cells. It helps neutralize free radicals, even boosting the immune system and detoxifying the body. It helps in the skin lightening procedure by converting melanin to a lighter color and deactivating the enzyme tyrosinase, which lends the pigment. Intravenous glutathione treatments are extremely effective in increasing those natural effects, diminishing scars and blemishes while lightening the overall skin color
- Mesotherapy
The mesotherapy technique is utilized in administering lightening agents such as glutathione, vitamin C and Kojic acid right into the skin layers.
The process involves injecting micro-injections onto the skin. Not only is it a great skin whitening technique but there are other benefits too such as providing hydration to the skin and nutrients by placing droplets into the skin. The results are amazing, skin lightening, facial rejuvenation, and reversal of free radical damage.
- Ablative laser resurfacing
This is considered to be one of the most effective procedures for skin lightening. In this procedure, the upper layers of the skin and a part of the sublayers underneath are removed and it is done by a process called vaporizing the affected tissue, this can be done only once.
Ablative lasers are of two types,
Fractional Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser: This is a laser which uses a gas-based mixture for the vaporization process to target the skin. This helps promote collagen and elastin tissue production. The formation of new skin ensures you see a marked difference in wrinkles, hyperpigmented skin, fine lines and give rise to youthful and lighter skin.
Erbium: The Erbium YAG laser uses the technique solid-state laser to set off controlled scarring of the skin. As the skin starts healing it accelerates the skin regeneration process thus minimizing dark pigmentation and also ensures the skin stays youthful.
- Q-Switched Laser
This is a revolutionary service that whitens the skin. It involves using a Q-Switched laser that is regarded as a safe procedure for the Indian skin and helps treat unwanted pigmentation on the skin. Q -Switch laser uses an invisible beam of light that particularly targets the brown pigment or melanin present in the dark spots and the best part is it does not affect the surrounding skin.
When used properly, these anti-aging treatments can do wonders to your skin, helping you get rid of minor blemishes, rejuvenating your skin, enhancing its glow to a great extent. Ensure you contact a reputed clinic and choose the skin whitening treatment that best suits your skin type.
