Prevent pigmentation issues this summer with our top tips. Sun damage is one of the biggest causes of pigmentation so it can be especially difficult to keep skin happy during the hotter months. There are a number of different ways to protect your skin and keep your skin tone even.
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What is Pigmentation?
Pigmentation appears on areas of the skin that have increased levels of melanin. Melanin is a natural substance found in the skin, hair and eyes that produces pigmentation. The more melanin produced, the darker the skin will be. Melanin production can be triggered in a number of ways, making patches of the skin appear darker than the skin surrounding it. Sunlight is a big trigger of melanin production. This is because the body produces more melanin where sun exposure is higher, to use the pigmentation as a natural sunscreen. Though it is not a harmful skin condition, it can cause low self esteem and insecurities. To prevent pigmentation issues this summer, we have 5 top tips to follow.
(1) Apply SPF to Prevent Pigmentation
Applying an SPF of 30+ should be a part of your daily routine year round, regardless of the weather. However, it is especially important during the summer. Ensure you are using a broad spectrum SPF and reapply every 2-3 hours. Don’t forget – you need SPF on all exposed skin to stay protected. Protect those hands, feet, and lips too. You can follow the two-finger rule to stay protected. Generally, each region of the body needs two strips of sunscreen, measured using your index and middle fingers.
(2) Avoid Direct Sunlight
Though sunscreen will protect your skin to an extent, the best way to properly stay safe is to avoid direct sunlight during peak hours. Between 11am and 3pm is when the sun’s rays are the strongest, and therefore the most damaging. Stay in the shade, or cover up in protective clothing to avoid pigmentation. A wide brimmed hat and sunglasses are a great place to begin.
(3) Prevent Pigmentation by Keeping Perfume off Your Skin
If you’re going out on a summer’s day and want to smell nice, avoid spraying perfume directly onto skin. When on the skin’s surface, the chemicals in perfume work aggressively and undermine the skin’s ability to protect itself against sun damage. Therefore, any perfume-covered patches of skin are more at risk of pigmentation. This is especially true for the neck and décolleté area. The sun’s rays are better able to penetrate the skin here due to the angle the thinner skin is at. Older women often have speckled pigmentation here due to consistently wearing perfume.
(4) Don’t Pick at Your Skin
In the summertime, when skin is often irritated by heat, insects and excess sweating, it is easy to pick at your skin – but you must leave it alone. Another trigger of melanin production is trauma to the skin, which is often caused by picking. Scratching and picking at a blemish or even the skin itself can cause ‘spots’ of discolouration in areas where the skin has tried to repair itself.
(5) Prevent Pigmentation with Skin Brightening Products
To prevent pigmentation issues this summer and keep your skin glowing, incorporate vitamin c into your skincare routine. A vitamin c serum will inhibit melanin production while also brightening and evening out the skin tone. As an antioxidant, vitamin c will also fight off external toxins that come into contact with the body, such as pollution and protect from excess sun damage.
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