Hyperpigmentation. It’s like an unwanted, unexpected guest. It especially loves to visit folks with Ethnic Skin and stay a long time. And it doesn’t discriminate. It loves women and men. If your skin tone ranges from golden to black, if you are of Asian, African, East Indian, Hispanic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or Native American descent you have probably experienced hyperpigmentation or dark marks at some point in your life. As an African-American it took me years to learn exactly what I can and cannot do to my skin to avoid hyper pigmenting it. As an esthetician I have also worked on a lot of different ethnic
skin types and I will tell you that the experience is invaluable because ethnic skin is generally not a topic extensively addressed in esthetic schools and requires an expanded depth of knowledge.
I believe that having melanin (black or brown pigment) in your skin is like having curly hair. Just as you would seek out a stylist who specializes in working with your unique hair type, it is advantageous to find a professional who understands your skin. There are just too many variables involved and often the same regimen which may work perfectly for someone with blond hair and blue eyes is the trigger for causing damage and hyperpigmentation on a darker skin.
If you have ethnic skin you should be treating your skin very gently for every step of your daily regime; no aggressive scrubbing picking or squeezing. No “over the top” peels. If you are a man and experiencing hyperpigmentation around your beard and throat area from shaving there are steps which can be taken to help control this development. I am in love with the Environ line of products which can be customized to correct many of the flaws often found with darker skin tones.
Make it a point to begin 2012 with an updated regimen which takes your skin tone into consideration. A little tweaking may result in skin that is more radiant, free of dark marks and more wonderful looking than you could ever have imagined.
Esthetician Linda Harding,
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