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Causes of skin pigmentation and controlling sun tanning using natural home treatments

I am using sunscreen gel for pigmentation. Is this good for skin?
( 5 Aug 2009)

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This depends on what kind of pigmentation you are suffering from and what exactly this gel is meant to do. The gel you mention seems to be a sunscreen - this means that it will block the UV rays in sunlight and prevent them from damaging or darkening your skin. To some extent, this might help, but this is mainly if you have developed a tan. Tanning is a natural process that occurs when the skin is exposed to sunlight. The skin starts producing more melanin in order to protect itself from sunlight, and it thus becomes darker in color. If the exposure to sunlight is reduced, melanin production returns to normal levels, and the skin color gradually lightens. Your skin color is of course primarily determined by your genes, and it will not become any lighter than this natural color, but avoiding sunlight will ensure that it does not become any darker either. Using a sunscreen lotion or gel is one way to achieve this, but it is much more effective to actually avoid sunlight by staying indoors during peak sunlight hours and by wearing a hat and suitable clothing whenever it is necessary to venture outdoors. The amount of protection that is offered by sunscreen is still not certain.

If your pigmentation problem has other causes, then sunscreen and sun avoidance are unlikely to be of much help. Exposure to sunlight does darken patches of hyperpigmentation, but this has only a marginal impact on the skin color. You need to identify the underlying factor that is causing your skin to produce excessive amounts of melanin, and address it. In some cases, hyperpigmentation is only a temporary problem that results from a skin infection. Skin cells that have been damaged by the infection start producing excessive amounts of melanin in a phenomenon known as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. After a while however, the skin returns to normal, usually without any treatment. The infection must of course be gotten rid of however, and treatment may be necessary for this purpose.

Pregnancy also causes temporary darkening of certain areas of skin, in a phenomenon known as melasma or chloasma. Here too, the skin returns to normal a few months after the child has been delivered. Other reasons for hyperpigmentation include acanthosis nigricans, a skin problem related to insulin resistance, and hormonal disorders such as Cushing's disease. In such cases, there will be other symptoms too, and suitable treatment is required to get the underlying medical condition under control.

answered by G S on 5 Aug 2009, 5:03:28

 

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