Hi, I'm Dr. Bindu Sthalkar Dermatologist and Cosmetologist and I'm here today
to tell you everything about Pigmentation.
You'll have heard this sentence Prevention is better than Cure
this is very true where Pigmentation is concerned.
You can prevent pigmentation from forming or from coming on but treatment
once it has come on takes a very very long time.
So, how do you prevent pigmentation?
Is sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen.
You have to use a broad spectrum sunscreen UVA plus UVB blocking.
You should apply one teaspoon of it all over your face.
You should apply fifteen minutes before you step out, allow it to settle in.
Many people ask me SPF what is it, it is Sun Protection Factor and an SPF of 30 is good enough
if you go to Essel World, if you go to a Water world then you need an SPF of 50 or 70
and it should be water proof and you must reapply every 2-3 hours if you want adequate protection.
This is all about prevention, now once you have the pigmentation, when the tanning comes up and
you have a uniform darkness of the face it can be removed with treatments the treatments
which I'm going to tell you but once patchy pigmentation has come up either lentigines or melasma
or PIH that is Post Inflammatory Hyper-Pigmentation well then you are going to be doing this treatment
at least for 3-6 months.
Now, we have creams which you can apply, they are the ones which contain
hydroquinone, kojic acid, arbutin, tretinoin, glycolic acid.
These have to be used under a doctors supervision and they help in decreasing your pigmentation
and they should be used for a prolong period of time, 3-6 months.
I would like to add over here, even Vitamin C creams or Vitamin E creams they are antioxidant creams
and you know when we are out in the sun our body forms a lot of free radicals which go and damage
your melanocytes, they go and damage your skin and they produce a lot of toxins.
So, you'll must have heard a lot about antioxidants. Well Vitamin C cream application as well as Vitamin C orally
helps to mop up all these free radicals and prevent damage to your skin and to your DNA
and to your pigment producing cells.
Now, if you come to me with pigmentation how do I makeup your schedule for treatment?
We have in clinic treatment and at home treatment.
Now at the clinic treatment will be personalised or will be individualised as per your needs.
Freckles and lentigines they need at the clinic treatment like chemical peels and lasers.
Now, many people they come to me and say we have just been to Alibaug and we have got tanned,
yes the tan can be easily removed you'll can use creams the pigment reducing creams.
Now, how to use what?
Hydroquinone creams, Kojic acid creams can be used at night or creams containing
tretinoin, glycolic acid should be used at night and the Vitamic C creams can be used in the morning
but sunscreen is a must!
Never, never, never, never step out without a sunscreen.
At the clinic we will individualise the treatment according to your needs.
So, lasers and chemical peels will be used.
Now, lasers as I said are very, very effective in treating the freckles, the sun spots and these lasers also
help in removing the tan which you have acquired when you're lying down under the sun.
This will help to lighten the tan and help you to come back to your original colour.
Okay now, one other thing I'd like to talk here is that there are some people who say
doctor I don't want to do any treatments I just want creams because they feel they will get a lot of
darkness, lot of pigmentation but here I'd like to tell you all these treatments that is
chemical peels and lasers if they are done under a dermatologists supervision
they will help in lightening your pigmentation and they will not give you any long term pigmentation at all.
One is freckles, sun spots nothing but lasers and chemical peels will work.
Tanning, yes chemical peels, lasers and creams will work
only application of creams for tanning will take a long time.
So, if you want to get detanned quicker then you have to do peels and lasers and
the lasers now are very safe.
If you do certain lasers which were there in the past they would just exfoliate your skin
yes they would sensitize your skin to sunlight more
but not these lasers. These lasers only target the pigment and they do not affect your skin at all.
So, this is very, very important and do not hesitate to use chemical peels or lasers
if done under a dermatologists supervision.
If you have any doubts write them in the comments below and
Stay tuned and stay Glamrs.