Amazing natural ways to reduce Hyperpigmentation.

Hi friends

After reading this article you will be able to understand the following things: *Structure of our skin *Hyperpigmentation & its types. *Causes of Hyperpigmentation *Amazing natural ways to reduce Hyperpigmentation. *Recipe of licorice toner for skin lightening.

Structure of our skin

Actually, our skin is far more complex then it appears. It is the largest part of our body & performs  the various function such as:

*Regulating body temperature

*Protecting our body against microbes & pathogens

*Providing insulation to our internal organisms

*etc…………………………………………………………………

Skin is made up of different layers & each layer performs some specific tasks by virtue of which our body can perform its normal functioning.

Our skin can be broadly classified into three layers,

  *Epidermis

  *Dermis

  *Hypodermis

Basic Structure of our Skin

1.Epidermis:

The epidermis is the outermost layer of our skin. It is made up of 4 to 5 layers depending upon the region/part of the skin is being considered.
The epidermis is nourished by diffused oxygen from the surrounding air because no blood supply is available for this layer.
The epidermis contains several cells such as inflammatory cells, Langerhans cells, Merkel cells, keratinocytes & melanocytes.
In Epidermis, these cells are tightly connected to serve a waterproof barrier for our internal organisms.

2.Dermis:

The dermis is the middle one layer of our skin & lies just below the Epidermis. It is made up of two different layers.

The dermis is nourished by blood vessels.
Dermis contains various cells such as: fibroblast cells, adepocytes cells, macrophages cells.
Dermis also contains collagen, elastin, hair follicle, & sweat glands.
The dermis is made up of tough connecting tissues which cushion the body from stress & strain.

3.Hypodermis:

The hypodermis is the innermost layer of the skin. It is also called deeper subcutaneous tissue.
The hypodermis is made up of connective tissues & fat. This stored fat serves as an energy reserve for the body & insulate our body to prevent heat loss.

Hyperpigmentation

Our skin’s color/tone is decided by the pigment melanin & Melanin is produced by some special type of cells called melanocytes located in the skin’s outermost layer Epidermis.

Hyperpigmentation is a type of condition in which darkening of the skin color/tone occurs in the various part of the body such as Face, neck, back, hands etc.
The part of our body where the concentration of melanocytes exceeds Hyperpigmentation occurs because of the overproduction of melanin.

Types & Causes Hyper-Pigmentation

Types & causes of hyperpigmentation:

*Melasma or chloasma:

Melasma looks like brown, tan, or blue-gray spots on the face, cheekbone, & jawline. it is primarily caused by external sun exposure, external hormones like birth control pills, & internal hormonal changes as seen in pregnancy. 

That’s why this type of pigmentation is more common in women.

*Freckles:

Freckles are the most common type of hyperpigmentation, it appears on the skin as small patch or light brown spots. 

Freckles usually appear on the face, they can also be found on any part of the body which is exposed to the sun more often such as the neck & shoulders.

Freckles are more often seen among people with a lighter skin tone. 

Because people with fair skin tone have less melanin in their skin & When sunlight causes their melanocytes to make more melanin, they often develop freckles instead of getting an even suntan like people with darker skin tone.

*Solar lentigines:

Solar lentigines are also referred to as liver spots, age spots or sun spots because these spots are caused by virtue of aging & overexposure to the sun.
When skin ages & further exposed to environmental damages, melanin is consistently produced to protect the skin.

When skin prone to overexposure to sun & the degree depends on how much UV light is exposed to melanin pigments. 

Solar lentigines are darker & more irregular in appearance as compared to freckles. People with a lighter skin tone are said to be more prone to sunspots.

*Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation:

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation generally developed by virtue of inflamed wounds, acne, burns etc.

Because these skin inflammation or injuries stimulates our skin’s healing mechanism by virtue of which the skin tissue heals & a chemical called cytokines is produced which helps in the creation of new skin cells. 

However, this process also stimulates the melanocytes, causing more melanin to be produced. 

When melanin is produced excessively, this results in skin discoloration on the inflamed area. where an increased production of colour pigment occurs due to that injury or inflammation of the skin.
It is generally tan, brown or black in colour & most commonly associated with the people with a darker skin tone.

Amazing five natural way to reduce hyperpigmentation

1. Eat Glutathione Rich Food:

Glutathione is the body’s most powerful & important antioxidants, present in each & every cell of the body. It plays a significant role in detoxifying our cells, removing heavy metals, toxins, and free radicals.

Eat Glutathione Rich Food

Glutathione exists in two interconvertible forms
1. Reduced glutathione(GSH)
2. Oxidized glutathione(GSSG)

Melanin is the pigment that gives our skin to its color, melanin is produced by the activation of the enzyme Tyrosinase.
GSH helps to prevent the enzymatic pathways from producing melanin. 

GSH also helps to prevent the activation of Tyrosinase by reducing free radicals in the body that can activate it and cause an increase in melanin production.

Age spots can be prevented & minimized by enhancing Glutathione levels in the body. 
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Glutathione can lighten dark spots & even out your skin tone.
Glutathione is naturally found in various fruits/vegetables such as:
Watermelon, avocado, broccoli, spinach & tomatoes etc.

2. Use licorice(मुलैठी) topically:

Licorice is an excellent skin lightener & works well on melisma & dark scars. Licorice contains several components which reflect a positive effect on the skin after topical application but glabridin is that main component of the licorice plant which inhibits pigmentation.

Licorice Root 

Licorice extracts also contain liquiritin & isoliquertin.
Liquiritin is a glycoside-containing flavonoid that induces skin lightening by dispersing melanin.
Licorice extracts also influence pigmentation by removing epidermal melanin.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology. Licorice extract may help lighten dark spots and even out your skin tone.

3.Have beauty massage with natural oils & butter:

The massage helps to stimulate blood flow & lymphatic drainage, which helps in the removal of toxins that have accumulated in the skin. The massage also helps to moisturize the skin. The massage helps relieve tension that in return gives the face & body a younger & glowing look.

Massage With Natural oils & butter

The massage helps to increase the blood flow to the face & body to sooth the muscles. The increased blood supply helps to reduce hyperpigmentation.
So massage your skin with natural oils & butter such as Shea butter, cocoa butter, rosehip seed oil, extra virgin coconut oil etc. to detoxify your skin and make it look refreshed & blemishes free.

4.Have a healthy & safe sun exposure:

A limited amount of sun exposure is actually one of the best actions for our health because this is how our body produces enough essential vitamin D which is known to protect against cancer (including melanoma) & support our immune system, cardiovascular system, kidney function, bones and teeth, muscle strength & much more.

Avoid Excessive Sun Exposure

Note: *People with fair skin tone require direct sunlight, three to four times a week for 20 minutes.

*People with darker skin tone require direct sunlight, three to four times a week for 30 -40     minutes.

But excessive sun exposure, such as getting sunburned, can certainly damage our skin.
The skin around our eyes & our face is typically much thinner than other parts of our body & it has a relatively small surface area, therefore will not contribute much to vitamin D production. 

So protecting these delicate areas(skin around eyes & face) of our body from direct sun exposure, as it is at a much higher risk for cosmetic photodamage, premature wrinkling & hyperpigmentation.

5.Have 6-7 hour beauty sleep:

Sound sleep of 6-7 hours is vital for healthy & glowing skin that’s why 6-7 hour sound sleep also refers to beauty sleep. 
Because lack of sleep leads to poor blood circulation & increases the amount of stress hormone cortisol in our body that eventually increase the severity of inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, dermatitis, eczema etc.

Have 6-7 Hour Beauty Sleep

During sound & deep sleep, the rise in growth hormones occurs, which allows repairing damaged cells.
Without the deeper phases of sleep, this won't occur, allowing daily small breakdowns to accumulate instead of being reversed overnight.
This results in more noticeable signs of aging in terms of melasma, dark patches, dark circles etc. 

Recipe of licorice toner for skin lightening

Ingredients: you need

                     *4-5 gm licorice(मुलैठी)  

                                        *2 glass of water

step 1: Boil them together for minimum 20 minutes.
step 2: Let it cool
step 3: Strain it into a bottle
Step 4: Apply this toner with a cotton ball on your face/body after cleansing.

Therapeutic benefits:

This toner will help you to lighten dark spots, even out your skin tone & gives you a radiant skin.

If you have any query you can write it in the comment section or at prajsanjivani@gmail.com.
Thanks
Ms. P Rajeshwari
(Aromatherapist)
Diet & Beauty Consultant




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