At Zuhuri Beauty one of the main questions we receive is asking for help with clearing up dark spots. For people of color, especially Black people, hyperpigmentation or professionally known as post- inflammatory hyperpigmentation, is a major cause for concern with our skin. Knowing the difference between post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or dark spots and a scar is the first step in being able to address this concern. Hyperpigmentation is very common and generally occurs because skin of color has a higher content of melanin. When our skin experiences acne, rashes or other traumas, our skin produces more melanin during the healing process which leads to hyperpigmentation. This often occurs on the epidermis or upper layers of the skin. Hyperpigmentation can also be caused my genetics, puberty, pregnancy, and mediations. A scars, on the other hand, which we will discuss further in another posting, is a mark left on the skin after the wound maturation process has occurred to a wound or injury to the skin. Scars often include the epidermis and dermis or deeper, living tissue of the skin. Although we can heal a scar, we are not able to help the skin return to its original state. A scar may fade over time but generally is permanent.
Now that we are familiar with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, we can work towards healing it, brightening and toning the skin. For this article we will use a pimple for our three step treatment plan. This plan includes: healing, fading and protecting the pimple. During the healing process we will cleanse the pimple with our (Zuhuri cleansing product) twice daily. Addressing the underlying cause of the pimple and allowing it to properly heal, for many that includes a hands free approach, and by that we mean, not popping the pimple or picking the scab (acne excoriation) will allow us to move onto the next step of our treatment plan. We are able to move on once the redness, pain and swelling has subsided and a scab as formed. During this step or phase it is crucial that we allow the scab to remain in place while we continue our daily cleansing routine and adding exfoliation and fading products to our routine. As the dark spot moves closer to the top layer of the epidermis, we can exfoliate it either chemically, mechanically or manually and apply our fading and brightening products nightly. It is important to perform this step during the evening as many fading and brightening products are reactive to the UVA and UVB rays of the sun and can cause further damage to the sensitive area(s) we are treating. That is why protecting this area is key in the healing and fading process and even more so once the pimple has healed and faded.
As people of color and especially Black people we have been raised with the notion that we don’t need or have to use sunscreen and often times we don’t. This is untrue and alone can be the primary factor as to why our hyperpigmentation is not fading and going away. We spend time, energy and effort applying products to our skin at night yet we won’t protect our skin during the day. Add unrealistic expectations to the mix and it’s a recipe for disaster. In this case, hyperpigmentation. It took time, often months for the hyperpigmentation to occur and we expect it to go away within a few weeks, in some cases days. This is unrealistic! Not being patient and not giving the trauma a 30-60-90 day approach to healing and fading, we will never see the benefit of our products and results we desire. Basically, we need to check in and evaluate our skin care regiment for hyperpigmentation every 30 days. By doing so we are giving the products a fair and realistic time frame to work on healing and fading the pimple. We must also keep in mind we can add more time to this plan based on age and overall health. We have seen a young child receive a scratch and it be gone before the band aid falls off yet let that happen to a person over the age of 30 and that scratch will be there for months. Keeping this in mind will also help us properly treat our post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and return our skin to its healthy glowing state. At Zuhuri Beauty we have formulated products to not only heal our pimple or acne breakouts but also fade and brighten the skin. For treating hyperpigmentation allow us to recommend the following products for women and teens:
Sol Brightening Treatment Toner
For our adult men or those who identify as such, allow us to recommend:
We recommend everyone also use our Broad Spectrum Sunscreen for dark spots and skin protection.
By following the approach of healing, fading or treating and protecting our concern of hyperpigmentation with the use of the recommended Zuhuri Beauty skin care products and the support of our Licensed Esthetician, Shonna Hall and company founder EnJunaya Canton, we can help you achieve all of your skin goals.
For more information about Zuhuri Beauty products and to receive a sample of any products noted in this blog please email AccountServices@ZuhuriBeauty.com.
Zuhuri Beauty Green Beauty Solutions in sustainable and eco-friendly packaging.
Written by Shonna Hall, Licensed Esthetician and Zuhuri Beauty Consultant