We feel the arrival of spring by a gentle touch to the cheeks of the sun's rays. However, the spring sun is insidious.
Soft, not yet scorching, it leaves its “marks", which then have to be fought for a long time.
Each of us dreams of delicate, velvety skin and even complexion. It is not surprising that the appearance of freckles, age spots becomes for many women not only cosmetic, but also a psychological problem. The fact is that melanocytes - the cells that produce the pigment melanin - are distributed unevenly in the skin. Especially there are a lot of them on the open parts of the body: hyperpigmentation in 95 percent of cases appears on the face, in 37 percent - on the hands, in 10 percent - in the decollete.
Striving for perfection, women by all means want to get rid of age spots. But before you start the fight, you need to find out the reasons for their appearance. At each age, they can be different, and, by the way, the sun is not to blame in all cases.
Problems of young
Girls up to 20−25 years of grief are mainly delivered by freckles. No matter how many people around assure that the “kisses of the sun" give the person silliness, special good looks and femininity, most girls are opposed to them. And completely in vain. Firstly, the appearance of freckles is genetically determined, especially in red-haired and natural blondes, which makes the fight against them ineffective.
Secondly, over the years, many freckles simply disappear, and the problem is solved by itself. In addition, in winter, freckles become almost invisible and reappear only with the onset of the first warm sunny days.
Tip
All owners of freckles in spring need to use creams with a high degree of protection against ultraviolet rays. After winter, the skin is most sensitive to them, in addition, the action of the spring sun is enhanced by the remaining snow cover, reflecting light. This is especially necessary to take into account on vacation in the mountains, as well as during hiking or skiing in the countryside.
1 Dr. Alignment Correction Serum Pierre Ricaud.
2 Skin tone correction serum Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector, Clinique.
3 Cream against pigmentation Pigment Regulator, SkinCeuticals with koic acid.
4 Concentrated Brightening Serum, Concentrated Brightening Serum, Shiseido.
-Average age
In women in the childbearing period, the problem of hyperpigmentation is most often associated with pregnancy. The age spots that appear in expectant mothers are called chloasma. In most cases, they disappear by themselves after childbirth, but sometimes they remain for a long time (usually on the face). Sometimes the appearance of chloasma is not associated with pregnancy. Their cause may be dysfunction of the ovaries, taking hormonal contraceptives, etc.
Tip
In this case, consult a gynecologist.
-After 50
Many women at this age begin to notice the appearance of small brown spots on the skin - mainly on the face and back of the hands. They become indirect evidence of female aging. This type of hyperpigmentation is called lentigo and is one of the manifestations of age-related skin changes. Why is this happening? Due to the violation of the fat barrier during aging, the permeability of the stratum corneum of the skin increases, and melanocytes gradually approach its surface.
Tip
Often include foods rich in vitamins C, A, E in your diet, or take vitamin-mineral complexes. In addition, avoid direct sunlight: they not only cause hyperpigmentation, but also accelerate the aging process of the skin. Use special creams with UV filters. Do not neglect wide-brimmed hats and summer gloves.
Expert Opinion
Dermatologist, medical director of La Roche-Posay EKATERINA CHEPURINA talks about the prevention of pigmentation:
- To avoid such skin problems, it is very important to use products with sun protection filters from UVA and UVB radiation in daily care. In daytime remedies, protection with an SPF factor of 15–20 is sufficient. But keep in mind: the more skin prone to the formation of age spots, the higher the protection is needed.
La Roche-Posay laboratory is a pioneer in the field of invention of filters for UVA radiation, which is responsible for photoaging, including pigmentation. That is why the range of cosmetics Anthelios, which has ultra-protection against radiation of type A, is recommended by dermatologists in Europe and Russia to protect the skin from the damaging effects of the sun. In active
experts recommend applying the solar period to prevent pigmentation 30 minutes before going to Anthelios 30-50 +, depending on the skin phototype. In urban conditions, when in the air for no more than 2 hours, this should be done 1 time per day, and on vacation, if you are constantly in the open sun, every 2 hours. Thanks to the new unique Mexoplex system, Anthelios products not only protect the skin from pigmentation and other signs of photoaging, but also prevent sun allergies and sunburn. Moreover, they are resistant to water and have light comfortable textures.
1 Fluid Extreme ACF SPF 30 Anthelios, La Roche Posay with a matting effect for oily problem skin.
2 Melting cream SPF 50+ Anthelios, La Roche Posay for normal to dry skin.
-Action plan
To make freckles or recently appeared small pigment spots less noticeable, you can use lemon juice, cucumber, parsley, and masks from sauerkraut, egg white, oat flour or yogurt. In summer, try daily masks made from fresh milk of milk or dandelion. Lighten age spots will also help modern cosmetics, but before using them, you must read the instructions.
Unfortunately, it is usually impossible to remove old age spots at home. The help of a specialist is needed here. In beauty salons and cosmetology centers today there is a whole range of methods to combat hyperpigmentation: chemical peels, mesotherapy and phonophoresis with ascorbic acid, as well as phototherapy and laser resurfacing of the skin.
Tip
In spring and summer, the skin is very sensitive to sunlight. Therefore, at this time, try to avoid cosmetic procedures that cause thinning of the stratum corneum and mechanically affect it. This primarily concerns chemical peeling, mesotherapy, hair removal, facial cleansing, plastic surgery - all of them can lead to hyperpigmentation of the skin.
FIND AND CLEAR
Hyperpigmentation of the skin can also signal more serious health problems. For instance…
• Forehead pigmentation - a strip about 1 cm wide - can indicate a serious illness of the nervous system. Do not delay the visit to a neurologist.
• If the skin began to stain in bronze color without exposure
sun, make an appointment with an endocrinologist - this is how adrenal diseases can manifest themselves.
• Brown spots may appear while taking medications (retinoids, tetracyclines, hormonal drugs) or after using cosmetics containing herbal essences and oils. The reason is photosensitization - excessive
body sensitivity to ultraviolet rays provoked by certain chemicals. Carefully read the instructions for the drugs: if they can cause photosensitivity, try to minimize exposure to the sun and be sure to consult your doctor.
• Hyperpigmentation can occur after allergic urticaria, in the area of skin rashes against the background of infection, after eczema, pyoderma (purulent skin lesions), neurodermatitis, burns. In these cases, refrain from sunbathing on the beach and going to the solarium.
• With a special type of hyperpigmentation around the mouth, chin, nasolabial folds - pigmentary near-mouth dermatosis - the presence of worms in the body is possible. Be sure to consult your doctor!
• The appearance of brown spots on the body may signal
about the lack of nicotinic acid - it is found in natural coffee. But without fanaticism: 1 cup of this aromatic drink per day is enough.
• Pigmentation on the elbows and knees often indicates a deficiency of vitamin A. To avoid this problem, more often add liver, dairy products, egg yolk, carrots, pumpkin, and persimmons to the menu.
TEXT: ELENA SHVEDOVA. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES / FOTOBANK; PHOTOALTO / EAST NEWS; SPRINGFIELD GAERY / VOLFF / AGA / LE DO / ELDIN MURATOVIC / ZERGKIND / FOTOLIA.COM (6), ALEXANDER PLATO / BILDFABRIK (1); PR (6).
