Do you lack confidence due to facial pigmentation? I am here to help you.
What is facial pigmentation?
Facial pigmentation refers to the darkening of the facial skin due to overproduction of pigment melanin. Medically, this is known as melasma.
In melasma, patches of pigmentation appear on the face, predominantly over the cheeks, nose, forehead and upper lip. The pigmentation varies from yellowish, brownish, bluish to blackish in colour. Chloasma is another term for facial pigmentation in women during pregnancy.
Why do we get facial pigmentation?
The root cause of facial pigmentation is excess melanin production. Facial pigmentation is very common in women, but may also arise in men. The causal factors are many, the major among them being hormonal changes in women during pregnancy, after childbirth, during menopause, from intake of contraceptive pills, from hormone replacement therapy and hypothyroidism. Other factors that trigger facial pigmentation are stress, loss of sleep and sun exposure. Heredity also plays an important role in predisposing a person to facial pigmentation. Acne may also lead to scarring and facial pigmentation.
Factors affecting facial pigmentation:
- Age and Facial pigmentation- Facial pigmentation can occur at any age, but it is most prominently seen between 20–40 years of age.
- Sun rays and Facial pigmentation- Sun exposure will definitely worsen the facial pigmentation. The melanin producing melanocyte cells gets activated in the sun, hence worsening the facial pigmentation.
- Will stress lead to facial pigmentation? Stress does not cause facial pigmentation, but will surely worsen the condition if it persists for long. Stress causes hormonal imbalance which may worsen facial pigmentation.
- Menopausal age and Facial Pigmentation- Hormonal changes during menopause could cause facial pigmentation among other symptoms such as profuse menses, hot flushes, headaches and mood swings. However, all women going through menopause will not necessarily get pigmentation.
- Hypo/Hyperthyroidism and Facial Pigmentation-Pigmentation and thyroid complaint are related. An imbalance in thyroid hormone levels can lead to facial pigmentation.
- Hormonal changes and Facial pigmentation- Hormonal changes are the foremost reason behind facial pigmentation. Hormonal changes in women during pregnancy, after childbirth and during menopause, all contribute significantly toward facial pigmentation as do changes in the thyroid hormone.
- Contraceptive pill and facial pigmentation - Taking oral contraceptive pills can also lead to facial pigmentation. Once you stop taking contraceptive pills, you will be able to stop further pigmentation. However, the pigmented spots that are already there will not fade away by themselves. They will require proper treatment.
- Topical applications erase pigmentation marks- Pigmentation on the face is the symptom of some internal problem which is why topical external applications usually do not help. The root cause of the pigmentation needs to be identified and treated before the marks will fade.
- Taking proper sleep reduce pigmentation marks- Lack of sleep is a contributing factor to facial pigmentation. Lack of sleep raises the level of stress hormones which worsen the pigmentation. Hence, proper sleep is needed to prevent worsening of facial pigmentation.
- Weather and facial pigmentation- Most cases of facial pigmentation worsen during the summer months, it has been found.
- Vitamins and facial pigmentation- Vitamins A, B12, C and E are known for their properties to reduce facial pigmentation. However, these vitamins should be taken in recommended doses, only after consulting a health professional. Taken together with Homeopathic medicines, these vitamins can work wonders and fade out facial pigmentation marks.
Homoeopathy and Facial pigmentation-
Homoeopathy is a very safe and effective science for treating facial pigmentation. Homoeopathic medicines help in clearing away facial pigmentation in a natural way, lightening the dark patches and halting further progression of the condition. In time, the marks fade, partially or even completely, depending upon the case. Prominent Homeopathic medicines for treating facial pigmentation are Sepia Officinalis, Thuja Occidentalis, Berberis Aquifolium, CadmiumSulphuratum and Sulphur. Constitutional medicine after consulting Homoeopath can give you best results.
Lifestyle measures that can help avoid and manage facial pigmentation to an extent are:
- Cover face in the sun.
- Manage stress by following a yoga and meditation regime.
- Drink lots of water.
- Proper 8-hour sleep is advised.