TAGS: SKIN DISCOLORATION, ACNE DISCOLORATION, VITAMIN C SERUM, SKIN PIGMENTATION, DARK SPOT CORRECTOR

Different Types of Skin Discoloration

1. Skincare
2. Acne treatment
3. Professional treatments

Since skin discoloration can essentially occur at any age, you may be wondering what exactly contributes to the proliferation of this stubborn skin occurence? Genetics, history of sun exposure, and hormonal fluctuations, to name a few —and skin discoloration can appear as overall uneven skin tone, dark spots on face, brown patches, and an overall dull, dark skin appearance. Yet all faces of skin discoloration on face carry one factor in common: Excess melanin, the brown pigment responsible for normal skin color . The sun plays a significant role in the skin’s tone as well, since melanin production is the skin’s natural way of trying to protect itself from the effects of UV light.

In addition to the various causes of skin discoloration, there are also different forms. The ideal skincare approach for improving skin discoloration can depend on the root cause, and here’s a guide to the different types of unwanted skin pigmentation, as well as the SkinCeuticals skincare solutions.

1. Uneven skin tone

An uneven skin tone simply means that some spots on your skin are darker than others. Although slightly uneven skin tone can often be easily concealed with a tinted sunscreen or light makeup (or not a concern at all), more pronounced discoloration can be difficult to conceal—and many people turn to targeted skincare treatments that help improve the clarity of their skin.

Uneven skin tone can actually be the result of several different types of skin discoloration, including age-related pigment changes, sun damage, stubborn brown patches, post-acne discoloration, and post-inflammatory inflammation (which we delve deeper into below). Opting for a dark spot corrector, such as our Discoloration Defense, would be the best suited move here. This dark spot corrector is formulated with a synergistic blend of anti-discoloration ingredients including tranexamic acid, kojic acid, niacinamide, and HEPES (a gentle acid that promotes exfoliation) to improve the appearance of all the main types of skin discoloration by 20% in two weeks.

2. Aging and sun damage

As natural aging runs it's course, it begins to show on skin. It can take decades for damage caused by unprotected sun exposure to become visible. This type of skin discoloration generally appears as blotchy skin pigmentation along with wrinkles and rough texture. For those with early signs of aging and sun damage, our moisturizer Metacell Renewal B3 features a potent blend of niacinamide (vitamin B3), a firming tri-peptide concentrate, and glycerin that clarifies skin tone, gently resurfaces the skin, and smoothes the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

3. Melasma

Hormonal fluctuations are the underlying cause of melasma, which appears as dark patches on the cheeks, upper lip, and forehead, and possibly the nose and chin. Often experienced during pregnancy and in those using oral contraceptives or post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy , melasma can be one of the more stubborn types of skin discoloration (which is why protecting the skin with a daily vitamin C antioxidant and sunscreen is important). When dealing with hormonal fluctuations causing melasma, it is important to implement a dark spot corrector into your daily skincare regimen. Those with these stubborn brown patches may benefit from Advanced Skin Discoloration Corrector face lotion. With an ingredient cocktail that includes salicylic acid, hydroxyphenoxy propionic acid (a non-toxic derivative of hydroquinone), and the antioxidant ellagic acid, this lightweight, daily-use lotion gently exfoliates to improve the appearance of brown patches while enhancing radiance.