12 Wombwell road Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us at hello@skin-lab.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Hyperpigmentation is too much pigment (colour) which develops into small brown spots, often found on the face arms & hands. It’s sometimes referred to as freckles, age spots, pigment or sun spots.
Within our bodies we have skin cells called Melanocytes. These cells produce a pigment (colour) called Melanin , which is what allows our skin to tan. If the skin cells are becoming damaged by UV rays from the sun, and other things such as free radicals and pollution etc, this can cause the Melanocyte cells to over produce melanin in that area in an attempt to protect the skin from this damage. As a result, we are left with small brown spots, which can be scattered all the face or arms. Freckles are a form of hyperpigmentation.
Yes! there are many ways in which we can treat Hyperpigmentation.
Continue reading for more information.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Is a machine which emits specific wave lengths, at specific intervals, with specific amounts of power, producing heat. This actually targets the colour within the patches of hyperpigmented areas and breaks this up. Immediately after, and for the first week or 2, the pigmentation looks darker, but then over the coming few weeks it starts to break down and be reabsorbed by the body. There is a difference between hyperpigmentation and Melasma. Melasma CANNOT be treated with IPL as it can make Melasma worse! Therefore it’s important you come and see us first for a medical opinion on your pigmentation.
Phototherapy is the use of light in treatment of a condition.
Red and Near infrared lights are well evidenced to improve pigmentation. Particular strengths of Near infrared and Red light therapy can improve pigmentation. It works by stimulating cells through the Mitochondria (The power house of the cell). This can help them produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy source for all cells. By improving cellular energy, cells repair themselves more quickly, and can therefore help improve hyperpigmentation.
Please remember, that it is particular strengths of wave lengths which have been well evidenced and researched which will cause improvements in the skin - NOT the cheap light masks which you can buy online. These are unlikely to have the correct wave lengths and also contain a multiple of other colours which have NO evidence to support that they work.
Here at SkinLab we have 2 Dermalux LED phototherapy devices which are Medically Licensed and CEA approved. These devices can be rented via our home rental scheme for a period of 2 weeks.
It is recommended it is used daily for at least 2 weeks.
Watch this short video which explains how Phototherapy works:
Here at SkinLab, we are stockists and prescribers of Medical Grade Skin Care such as ZO (a professional Prescription-only range made by Dr Zein Obagi - a world renowned dermatologist) And Evenswiss. We use both brands in clinic, and clients can purchase this to use at home too, after a medical assessment.
We have access to skincare ranges which contains ingredients which will help to destroy any pre existing pigmentation and prevent future pigmentation developing.
Book a Skin Consultation online to find out more.
Microneedling is where we use a pen style device with sterile single use needles. These needles puncture the skin to create micro-channels into the skins layers. The skin is firstly numbed to make the procedure much more tolerable.
The action of our bodies then healing these micro channels then releases a cascade of chemical changes, drastically increasing the amount of Collagen, Elastin and Growth Factors to thIs area of the skin and in turn, this improves lines and wrinkles and breaks up clogged pigment in the skin allowing this to shed up and away from the skins surface. The pigmentation can be further treated with Whitening Mesotherapy. This is a cocktail of whitening agents, peptides and enzymes to help lift dark pigmentation and even the skin tone.
Microneedling with or without Mesotherapy can be done on a monthly basis. It is recommended a course of 6 is completed with intermittent maintenance treatments as and when required. This procedure can leave your skin with mild erythema and sometimes there is mild bleeding during the procedure. Skin can feel sore during cleansing for a few days after the procedure. Skin can also feel tight and dry a few days after the procedure and can sometimes flake. Usually down time is 1-7 days. This procedure is often very well tolerated and is very safe and effective.
Hypopigmentation, on the other hand, is not enough pigment (colour) in patches of the skin. These can be small or large pale patches.
There is minimal which can be done for Hypopigmentation and often camouflage (painting of the skin) can be used to try and hide these areas Along with use of a medical grade SPF.