I’m enjoying this summery weather at the moment in London very much! Hope it lasts a long time!
As you know, the sun makes you feel happy and energised. However, it also produces harmful UV rays. We should keep this in mind and keep a good balance with nature.

Before introducing the most effective facial treatments for anti-pigmentation, I’d like to explain the basic formation of pigmentation and the process of its release.

First of all, do you know how our skin is made and how it functions?

The skin consists of three different layers – hypodermis, dermis and epidermis.
The deepest fatty layer (hypodermis) is mainly made of fatty deposits, and is responsible for supporting the upper layer of the skin, like a cushion. The dermis consists of collagen and elastin which determine the elasticity and firmness of the skin. The epidermis – the topmost layer of the skin – plays a role in protecting against harmful stimulation.

The skin cells are produced in the basal layer at the bottom of the epidermis, and are pushed upwards by continuous cell formation. They are ultimately discharged as dead skin from the surface. This skin turnover takes around four weeks.
The melanocyte, located in the bottom of the epidermis, produces melanin to protect the skin cells against harmful substances such as UV rays. Melanin is a pigment, which is primarily involved in the colour of skin. The reason why the skin gets darker under the sun is because this pigment is produced for protection.

The skin of babies and children hardly ever produce unwanted pigmentations! This is because their skin keeps producing healthy cells and melanin, shedding older cells off clearly.
However, if the skin is often exposed to the sun the melanocyte is continuously stimulated and produces an excess of melanin, eventually unbalancing the natural process. As we get older, the skin turnover becomes slower and slower. The skin itself gets thinner and its function becomes weaker and weaker. These aging processes cause the melanin elimination cycle to be slowed, resulting in melanin lodged in the skin permanently – this is an unwanted pigmentation!

The causes of pigmentation are not only the rays of the sun but can also include smoking, pollution, stress, hormonal imbalance etc.

These harsh stimulations accelerate “free radicals” (an unstable oxygen atom), causing oxidation in the body. Free radicals are the most damaging substances for the skin. As a result of this the skin cannot produce good healthy cells any more, and pigmentations stay lodged in the skin forever!

To sum up, melanin is primarily a necessary pigment for natural skin protection. However, pigmentation is formed by abnormal melanin production caused by excessive UV rays and free radicals!

How are these unwanted pigmentations eliminated?
There are three possible effective ways.
                                                                                            

                                                                                                  To be continued…