As shared, the reason for the issue of pigmentation is the accumulation of excess melanin. The treatment options therefore, are designed around trying to break down and remove that excess pigment. The different treatment options work on different depths of the skin in doing so and are hence used depending on the nature of your hyperpigmentation.
The treatment options include:
Topical creams:
There are multiple ingredients in skin care creams which target the melanin pigment and help in reversing hyperpigmentation. These include the triple combination known as the Kligman formula apart from glycolic acid, vitamin C, hydroquinone, azelaic acid, kojic acid, tranexamic acid, glutathione, mandelic acid etc. Some of these ingredients are available in over the counter creams and some have to prescribed by your dermatologist.
They mostly act on the melanin in superficial layers of the skin and help deal with epidermal pigmentation.
Chemical peels:
These are again concentrated forms of skin care ingredients that are applied in a controlled environment at the clinic, targeting the precise areas. Chemical peels can act on the superficial layers and some of them also act deeper. Glycolic peel (in higher concentrations), TCA peel and phenol peel are used to target the deeper layers of the skin.
Lactic acid peel and mandelic peel work more superficially.
However, the use of chemical peels for has to be done very carefully on Indian skin considering the higher chances of PIH. please read more in the risks and side effects section.
Microdermabrasion:
This therapy gets rid of the dead upper layer of skin and stimulates collagen to give you a brighter and firmer look.
The procedure involves exfoliation of the skin with vacuum and diamond/crystal tip. Certain other topical medications are added to deliver better results for you. These are as decided by your dermatologist. Microdermabrasion helps only with very superficial reasons of hyperpigmentation.
Laser treatment/Q-switch Laser:
This treatment is considered the gold standard treatment which is why we have included this page under our laser treatments section.
The pico laser or Q-switch laser is a revolutionary technology used for hyperpigmentation treatment. The name of the laser comes from the fact that this type of laser machine can produce a pulsed output beam which enables it to produce pulses of very high power.
It has a very high pulse rate and very high energy. It directly effects the excess pigment cells, breaks them down and helps in reversion of natural skin tone. It does not affect the surrounding normal cells. Our dermatologists will guide you properly on pre-care and after-care for this hyperpigmentation laser treatment. It is useful for deeper as well as superficial pigmentation and hence provides quick and visible results.
You may require multiple sessions with any of these treatment options to achieve desired results.