I have seen many discussions on message boards about how to manage hyperpigmentation. Some of the advice is good and some not so good. First of all, what is hyperpigmentation and why do we get it?? Pigment issues are very common. The causes are numerous but the primary cause is the sun. When we are young and invincible we worship the sun throwing care to the wind. This is especially true for my generation. Oils and iodine were the staples of sun worshippers. Nobody had heard of sun screens and everyone burned. Now we deal with those transgressions fighting skin damage and discolorations (dyschromias).
AGE SPOTS (liver spots)
How does the sun cause pigment issues? UV light from the sun causes the skin to protect itself by producing brown pigment or melanin. Melanin comes from melanocytes. People of color who originate from sunnier areas of the world produce this naturally and have darker skin. Caucasians have to rev up the melanocyte with UV exposure. UV light used to be from the sun but now the sun is rivaled by tanning beds and tanning goes on even in winter. What happens is the melanocyte is started up and over numerous exposures, it doesn't stop. This creates areas of hyper(too much)pigmentation. Other causes are pregnancy (hormones) that lead to the "mask of pregnancy" otherwise known as melasma. Trauma (acne scarring) especially in ethnic skin can cause dark areas. There are also many other metabolic diseases that can lead to the problem. .jpg)
ACNE DYSCHROMIAS
So what do you do about these areas. On the sites I have been reading there are many suggestions from herbs to topical creams. Let me tell you how I deal with dyschromias. Since these areas are significant and are due to long term damage, they need significant therapy to heal the skin. That means OBAGI. The Obagi skin care system is a medical grade collection of products that heal the skin and correct the underlying damage. 
MELASMA
Obagi products were developed by a dermatologist Dr. Obagi. They are based on Tretinoin which is a cousin of Retinol and causes the skin to turn over faster making it look healthier. The other compound is hydroquinone. This is a compound that turns the melanocyte off decreasing the amount of pigment produced. Also there is sunscreen to prevent future damage. After starting the treatment with Obagi we recommend IPL treatments with the Cutera Limelight to remove the pigment that is present now. IPL treatments target the color present in the skin and using a flash lamp the pigment is shot with bright light to break it up. The body then absorbs it and with the hydroquinone and Tretinoin stopping the production of more pigment, it can be controlled from now on. Protecting the skin from further UV exposure with sunscreen and maintenance Obagi keeps it away.
Come by or call 918-786-7780 for Obagi or Skinceutical products. We can ship from our office.