How To Treat Your Hyperpigmentation With Our Favourite Treatments

Returned from your summer holidays feeling fresh and recharged only to look in the mirror and notice uneven dark ‘freckle-like’ patches that weren’t there before your tan died down? Or, perhaps it’s been a couple of months since you noticed them and they are still rearing their stubborn heads? 

Sounds like you have hyperpigmentation – which is triggered by excess sun exposure. Luckily, at least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for your sun-damaged skin. If you want to resolve areas of uneven tone and hyperpigmentation, these are our favourite laser, IPL, and radiofrequency microneedling treatments to recapture your glow  – plus a few skincare suggestions – in time for autumn and beyond…

What is hyperpigmentation?

Hyperpigmentation is the name given to patches of uneven tone or ‘dark spots’ on your skin. It occurs when melanin, the pigment which exists to protect you from UV light, starts to cluster irregularly in your skin. This darker pigmentation is often the result of sun damage, caused by accumulated exposure to UVA light over your lifetime. That’s why hyperpigmentation is also referred to as ‘sun spots’ or ‘age spots’. It’s these marks that can cause our complexions to look aged, by making the skin appear less smooth and even in colour.

Aside from sun damage, hyperpigmentation can also be caused as a side effect of conditions such as acne or eczema, because the inflammatory nature of these concerns encourages your skin’s melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) to create more pigment. Or, in the case of melasma, or ‘pregnancy mask’ – often categorised by a butterfly-shaped colour spreading across the centre of the face – it’s triggered by hormonal fluctuations.

What tweakments can work for hyperpigmentation?

While hyperpigmentation can be a stubborn skin condition, there are an increasing number and variety of treatments designed to target it. That includes:

Laser: In general, lasers work by using a specific and controlled wavelength of light to heat up and break down unwanted melanin pigment in the skin. There are a wide-range of different lasers on offer – from downtime-reducing ‘cold lasers’, intensive but fast-working solutions for the time-poor, and innovative ones that combine multiple technologies. 

IPL:  Probably best known for hair removal, IPL is also a solution for age spots. It works in a similar (but less comprehensive) way to laser, due to its use of broad-spectrum light a collection of different wavelengths).

RF microneedling: Combining the skin-tightening benefits of radiofrequency (RF) and the collagen-boosting, skin-smoothing effects of microneedling, RF microneedling can also treat mild sun damage, with limited downtime.

Plasma: When Plasma energy is delivered to the skin, it creates heat that damages the skin in a controlled manner, triggering rejuvenation. It is this fibroblast-stimulating response that helps improve the appearance of dark spots and sun damage. It is especially good for hyperpigmentation that has not be shifted by other options.

What are our favourite tweakments for hyperpigmentation?

For a multi-faceted approach: SECRET DUO FROM CUTERA

With Secret Duo from Cutera you can benefit from two hyperpigmentation-tacking technologies – specifically laser treatments and radiofrequency microneedling – in one device. The first technology available in the UK and Ireland to combine 1540nm laser with RF microneedling, this unique pairing makes for a particularly impressive glow-boosting and collagen-stimulating treatment with reduced downtime and fast results for a whole host of skin concerns, including pigmentation.

For science-backed RF microneedling: SYLFIRM X

If you want proof that a treatment really works, you need to look for scientific publications, and Sylfirm X is supported by more than 25. The dual-wave radiofrequency microneedling treatment has eight different modes and utilises both continuous wave and pulsed wave technologies, meaning it is better able to treat the tricky skin condition melasma, as well as pigmented lesions. It’s also highly customisable making it safe for all skin types and tones.

For fast IPL: BBL HERO

The BBL HERO system from Sciton is one of the only IPL devices that uses light in the broadband spectrum, with High Energy Rapid Output (HERO), to tackle pigmentation. This means it’s four times faster and three times more powerful than traditional IPL, enabling the treatment of larger areas of the face and body in a relatively short time. If you have dark spots on your shoulders, back and legs, it’s a great choice.

For all skin tones: ULTRACLEAR

The world’s first cold, ablative, fractional fiber laser, UltraClear‘s biggest selling point is that it can successfully target pigmentation in all skin types, including Fitzpatrick 6. That’s because the laser uses a specific wavelength of light – 2910nm – so that 95% of the energy emitted ablates the skin tissue, leaving little residue for unwanted thermal damage.

For first-timers: MOXI

Alice dubbed MOXI an ‘ideal entry-level energy-based tweakment for light sun damage’, and here’s why: it can be used to treat all skin types at any time of the year, and its fractionated laser is designed to be less aggressive (and less painful) than other lasers in the category. If you prefer a gently-does-it approach for more sensitive skin, try booking in for a consultation.

For resurfacing: NEOGEN PLASMA

Hitting the headlines due to Shirley Ballas’ transformation, NeoGen Plasma is a resurfacing and tightening treatment that is perhaps best known for targeting wrinkles and laxity, but its pigmentation and melasma results are just as good – especially if you’ve found that other treatments haven’t worked well for you. It works by generating ultra-high frequency energy mixed with pure nitrogen gas to create nitrogen plasma, so it remodels deep within the skin.

For customisation: LUMENIS STELLAR M22

Lumenis’ Stellar M22 is a multi-tool device meaning it offers your practitioner an arsenal of different options. For age spots, the Q-Switched Nd: YAG laser head or Stellar IPL module can be used to break down the pigment first, before switching to the ResurFX technology – a non-ablative, fractional laser that gently resurfaces. This lessens downtime. Plus, it only needs a single pass across your face to work.

Can you treat hyperpigmentation with skincare?

Upgrading your skincare routine can also help keep hyperpigmentation from worsening (hello SPF) and reduce its appearance when it does appear. We’d recommend looking to practitioner-backed skincare though, as hyperpigmentation can be very tricky to shift, so requires some potent (potentially prescription) actives, such as those in Skinbetter Science’s + Even Tone Correcting Serum or Alastin’s A-luminate Brightening Serum. Pair with a high street sunscreen or one of Alice’s favourites – Heliocare – and you have a simple yet effective pigmentation-controlling routine.

To discover more treatments for post-summer dark spots, head to our dedicated hyperpigmentation page