Pigmentation
Dark patches, spots, and uneven tone are all forms of pigmentation. Common, treatable - but only with the right strategy in the right order.
What is it?
Your skin produces colour through cells called melanocytes. When these cells are triggered — by UV, inflammation, or hormones — they overproduce melanin. That excess deposits in the skin and shows up as discolouration.
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Think of melanocytes like a volume dial that gets stuck loud. The trigger turns it up and without intervention, it stays there.
Most Common Types of Pigmentation
Solar lentigines (sun spots)
Flat, defined spots caused by cumulative UV exposure. Most common on the face, hands, and décolleté.
Melasma
Larger, blotchy patches driven by hormonal fluctuation - pregnancy, HRT, or the pill - compounded by UV. Has both a melanin and a vascular component. Notoriously stubborn.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
Dark marks left after skin trauma — breakouts, waxing reactions, injury. More pronounced in deeper skin tones.
What to do about it?
This is your Non-negotiable foundation.
Products & Active Ingredients
Tranexamic acid— reduces melanin transfer; strong evidence for melasma
Niacinamide— blocks melanin transfer to skin cells; well tolerated
Azelaic acid— inhibits melanin production; also anti-inflammatory (useful for PIH)
Alpha arbutin— converts to hydroquinone in skin; suppresses melanin production
Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)— antioxidant; interrupts UV-triggered melanin formation
Retinoids— accelerate cell turnover; disperse existing pigment over time
Daily SPF 30-50+ - this is non negotiable, this is a core step in preventing and managing your pigmentation.
Results take 8–12 weeks minimum. Consistency matters more than product brand.
In-Clinic Treatments
Incorporate once you have products & actives consistent
Chemical peels— glycolic, mandelic, or TCA exfoliate pigmented cells and boost ingredient absorption. Mandelic is the safer choice for deeper skin tones.
Microneedling— controlled injury accelerates cell turnover. Best evidence for PIH and texture improvement.
Q-switched Nd:YAG— targets melanin directly; well evidenced for lentigines and melasma
Picosecond laser— shatters pigment into smaller particles for clearance; strong RCT evidence for lentigines and PIH
IPL— best evidence for solar lentigines in lighter skin tones (Fitzpatrick I–III)
Prevention & Maintenance
Pigmentation is one of the most relapse-prone skin conditions. Every treatment above is undermined without this.
Broad-spectrum SPF 30–50, daily— the single most evidence-backed intervention. Non-negotiable, year-round, regardless of weather.
Vitamin C in the morning— neutralises UV-triggered free radicals before they activate melanin production
Avoid unnecessary heat— heat alone can trigger melanin overproduction, particularly with melasma
Maintenance treatments— periodic peels or laser sessions prevent pigmentation from re-establishing
No treatment eliminates pigmentation permanently without an ongoing prevention strategy in place. The goal is management, not a one-time fix.