How To Erase Dark Spots Without Harmful Bleaching Chemicals

What Causes Dark Spots?

Dark spots, also known as brown spots, sun spots, age spots, liver spots, are the results of overexposure to the sun or sun damage of the skin. UV radiation can cause oxidation of lipids in cellular membranes, leading to production of free radicals and inflammation, which could stimulate melanocytes to produce melanin via activation of tyrosinase. The melanin pigment is produced to absorb sunlight and help protect our skin from the sun's UV radiation. However when melanocytes make excess melanin in the epidermis (outmost layer of the skin), we see the occurrence of brown spots.

Other Common Causes Of Hyperpigmentation

Melasma

Melasma presents large, irregular brown macules on sun-exposed skin such as cheeks, forehead, upper lip, nose, and chin. The precise cause of melasma is unknown, but several factors are suggested, i.e., genetic influences, exposure to solar radiation, pregnancy, birth control pills, hormone therapy, thyroid dysfunction, ovarian dysfunction, certain cosmetics, drugs or procedures (laser treatments and chemical peels).

Inflammatory Skin Conditions

Various inflammatory skin conditions (acne, eczema, and dermatitis etc.) can trigger hyperpigmentation. Inflammatory cells make prostanoids, cytokines, chemokines, and reactive oxygen species. These inflammatory mediators fuel melanocytes and activate tyrosinase. As a result, hyper-reactive melanocytes produce excess melanin and cause coloring in surrounding keratinocytes, predominant cell type in the epidermis.

When inflammation subsides, melanocytes can return to normal, or remain hyper reactive. Every so often, there is either excess melanin production or an abnormal distribution of melanin pigment deposited in the epidermis, discoloration occurs.

Long-term or relapsing inflammation can worsen skin discoloration and often result in a greater degree of hyperpigmentation. With no treatment, hyperpigmentation may take months to years to fade and sometimes become permanent.

Brown Spot Remover

Lightening of brown spots or hyperpigmentation requires a lot of patience and understanding of a variety of treatment choices. The general treatments include:

--Avoiding sun exposure

--Use of sunscreen

--Treating the underlying inflammatory conditions

--Preventing scratching, rubbing, picking

--Discontinuing medications such as tetracyclines, which can exacerbate discoloration

--Putting on topical agents such as skin-lightening products, bleaching or fading creams

--Cosmetic procedures such as chemical peels or laser treatments

Concerns On Long-Term Use Of Skin Whitening Products

Skin lightening products are capable to whiten the dark spot and turn it back to normal or close to normal skin color. The result depends upon how deep and how old the dark spots are. Deeper and older blemishes may take much longer to lighten.

Skin-lightening products contain a variety of active ingredients, which are often unknown to the users. Many of these products include topical steroids, hydroquinone, tretinoin and mercury salts that can have adverse effects on long-term users. Common side effects include:

--patchy hyper- or hypo-pigmentation

--thinning of the skin

--stretch marks

--skin irritation

--hypersensitivity to the sun

--atopic dermatitis

--delayed wound healing.

Natural Plant Extract As Dark Spots Lightener

To avoid adverse effects, many natural plant extracts have been investigated as alternative skin lightening agents. The following natural plant extracts have shown promising effects in lightening brown spots.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea extract comprises strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumoral polyphenols recognized as catechins. These naturally occurring polyphenols are shown to prevent, reverse or retard UV radiation-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA damage and suppression of immune responses.

Studies suggest that green tea extract possesses antioxidant properties by destroying reactive oxygen species, reducing various enzymes that are promoting oxidative stress, and improving antioxidant defense enzymes. Green tea's anti-inflammatory activities are demonstrated by inhibition of the infiltration of inflammatory cells and reduction of inflammatory mediators.

Finally, green tea extract is anti-carcinogenic by blocking carcinogen-DNA binding and later tumorigenesis.

Licorice Extract

The licorice extract has been broadly used in skin lightening products. The ingredient that is responsible for the skin whitening effect of the plant is identified as glabridin. Glabridin stops pigmentation by blocking tyrosinase activation. Studies have shown that it can deliver a considerable skin lightening effect while staying harmless to the melanin-forming cells.

Licorice's anti-inflammatory properties (due to inhibition of superoxide anion production and cyclooxygenase activity) also make it a very useful ingredient in treating inflammation-induced discoloration.

Bearberry Extract

Bearberry extract is derived from the Uva Ursi plant and is a natural alternative to synthetic hydroquinone. Bearberry extract provides a skin lightening effect by reducing tyrosinase activity and melanosome maturation. Though arbutin is a natural derivative of hydroquinone, it does not have the similar risks or side effects. Natural arbutin has been suggested to be a very safe ingredient and does not break down into hydroquionone very readily.

Topical Vitamins

Many vitamins possess strong antioxidant capabilities and may play a role in processes involved in skin growth and repair. There is strong evidence that vitamin B3 (niacinamide) and vitamin C are involved in modifying the process of hyperpigmentation. The antioxidant properties of these vitamins in topical formulations have confirmed to be efficient in safeguarding the skin from UV-induced injuries and reduce brown spots.

Vitamin B3 is an efficient skin lightening ingredient that works by inhibiting melanosome transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes, lacking of reducing tyrosinase activity or cell proliferation. Vitamin B3 performs best when combined with other skin lightening treatments. Vitamin B3 is also known to ease inflammation, improve skin barrier function, reduce sebum production, and minimize wrinkles.

Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that appears in stable and unstable forms. Several types of vitamin C have been shown to reduce melanin formation and provide a skin lightening effect when applied topically. They include l-ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, and sodium ascorbyl phosphate. They have been suggested to retard hyperactive melanocytes and slow down hyperpigmentation process.

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