ACNE AND DARK SKIN

Those of African, Latino or Indian decent have skin pigmentation that is darker than those who are of European decent. Treating any skin disease like Acne is often based on the colour of the skin.

Some cosmetic procedures, for example, cannot be used on skin with dark pigmentation because it will leave light spots.

Actually acne is an equal opportunity disease. The colour of the skin has no bearing whatsoever on whether a person will have acne.

Treating acne is based upon the type of acne it is and what the
most effective treatment options are for the particular type of
acne that is present in each patient.

Many acne medications make the skin sensitive to excessive sun
exposure. This has nothing to do with the colour of the skin. The sensitivity is simply a side effect of the medications.

Those with darker skin complexions are not usually as prone to
sunburn as those with lighter complexions but these medications make dark skin as susceptible to sun damage as their lighter skin friends.

A sun blocking product with an SPF factor of at least 15 is
recommended when there will be prolonged sunlight exposure.

There is one type of acne that often afflicts only those who are
of African heritage. This type of acne is called Pomade Acne.

Pomade acne is caused by a hair care product that is designed to straighten very curly hair.

The product has a very heavy oil base and should be kept off of the skin as much as is possible.

The pigmentation in very dark skin can get darker after an
inflammation is cleared up.

This is called ‘post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation’….which means increased pigmentation following inflammation.

The spots will gradually return to their normal colour over time but a dermatologist can prescribe medication which will hasten the process.

Common Causes of Spots and Freckles

Pressure is one of the most common internal causes of spots and freckles. The secretion of adrenaline increases in order to tackle the pressure when a person is under pressure. If such adrenaline is in a high secretion for sometimes, our body metabolism will be affected. When metabolism is affected, the nutrition supply to our skin is also affected. Therefore, spots and freckles may be formed due to the high activity of pigment cells. Therefore, it is important to relief your pressure regularly.

The other internal cause of spots and freckles is malfunction of ovaries. When ovaries cannot function properly, we are likely to have hormonal disorder. Hormonal disorder increases significantly the chance of pigmentation in skin and spots formation. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and life style for proper function of ovaries.

External factors like UV radiation is also a common cause for dark spots and freckles. UV radiation causes damages to skin cells. In order to protect our skin from such damages, skin cells produce a dark pigment called melanin. Dark spots and freckles are caused by such melanin. Therefore, in order to reduce dark spots, we need to reduce the production melanin. We can protect our skin with sun care products (SPF 15 or above) which reduces the production of melanin.

Other than UV radiation, skincare and cosmetic products may increase the chance of spots formation. Though skincare products are designed for caring of skin, the irritating ingredients contained in some skincare products actually make your skin sensitive. When skin is sensitive, melanin is again produced to protect your skin. If such sensitive skin exposed to sunlight, spots and freckles are easily formed. Therefore, it is important to choose those mild skincare products that suit your skin type.

Facial cleansing is the first step of skincare procedures. This procedure benefits your skin only if you can do it properly. Otherwise, it may make you skin even more sensitive and lead to over production of melanin. Once when melanin is produced, you are likely to have more spots and freckles.

To properly cleanse your face, you first need a mild facial cleanser with 4.5 to 6.5 pH value. Limit the frequency of daily facial cleansing to three. Both hot and cold water are irritating to skin, so you better use lukewarm water instead. When cleansing your face, you should massage gently and rinse thoroughly. Finally, you need to apply facial toner immediately to soothe your skin.

How to Get Rid of Freckles

Freckles are light brown patches of skin found particularly on those with light skin. These then often become darker in the sunlight. This occurs through the production of melanin that reacts to the sun rays. Freckles can be very attractive and many people find them 'cute', and when you reach old age (around the age of forty) most people will find their freckles disappear by themselves. However, should you wish to remove your freckles yourself there are some ways to do so. Here we will offer some suggestions:

Use bleaching cream: Bleaching cream inhibits melanin which courses darker skin tone. This is normally applied topically and will gradually cause freckles to fade. Lemon juice can also have a similar effect for some.

Get treatment: There are a range of treatments that can remove freckles. These include laser treatment which lasts for a long period of time but require a couple of days to heal. A dermatologist meanwhile can recommend chemical peels, which peel away the top layer of the skin. They might also use a liquid nitrogen to freeze and remove freckles that way.

Use sour milk: Sour milk is a home remedy that can cause the face to peel as a result of the lactic acid. However of course this has the downside of not looking particularly appealing itself.

Use makeup: You can cover up freckles with makeup. Particularly a foundation that brings your skin up to a similar tone so that the contrast between your skin and the freckles is less noticeable. For the same reasons a fake tan may also work. Alternatively try using a concealer to cover them up individually.