How Aesthetic Clinics treat pigmentation – Mirabel Clinic – Swindon

Pigmentation treatments: Pigmentation of the skin can be a nuisance, unsightly and difficult to treat at home. Many of us can experience it in its various forms and some may think it’s a lifelong condition that just needs to be lived with. Many aesthetic clinics now treat pigmentation as an everyday part of their treatment portfolio, as so many of us can suffer with pigmentation and want to improve the appearance of our skin.

What is pigmentation?

Pigmentation essentially means a colouring of the skin, due to the over production of the melanin within your skin. If the skin cells which produce melanin become damaged (from UV exposure for example), it affects the melanin production. Some pigmentation concerns affect just patches of skin (usually in areas which are exposed regularly to sunlight). Other conditions can affect the entire body.

When the body makes too much melanin, the skin will become darker, this is known as hyperpigmentation. It’s not just sunlight that can affect the production of melanin in the skin. Pregnancy, Addison’s disease and conditions such as melasma can make the skin darker. In contrast, if the body makes too little melanin, the skin will be lighter (hypopigmentation). Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of lighter skin and albinism is a genetic condition which also causes lighter skin. Blisters, burns and infections can also cause the skin to become lighter.

Clinic treatments for pigmentation

At Mirabel Clinic in Swindon, we have a number of different modalities for the treatment of hyperpigmentation. The specifically chosen modality of treatment used on any patient will depend on a number of factors including the base colour of skin, the severity and depth of the pigmentation and the choice of the patient as to speed of improvement required, the type of treatment preferred and of course, the cost.

Topical hyperpigmentation treatments

Depigmenting creams are a cost effective, simple treatment to use at home. However, it can take a while to notice improvements with these creams. Nevertheless they are a good choice for many patients who don’t mind waiting a while for the results and who might not want to undergo a more intensive treatment in-clinic. The depigmenting creams we offer here at Mirabel Clinic are Cyspera and Pigmanorm.

Skin peels are another topical treatment and they can be used on skin which we would be unable to treat with devices such as lasers. Chemical peels help to remove the upper layers of the skin, fading pigmentation such as sun spots and age spots. We offer Enerpeel, a form of chemical peels which focus on achieving activity inside the skin, rather than on its surface. The emphasis is on remodelling, restructuring, reducing pigmentation and rejuvenating the skin. A course of peels may be needed for more severe cases of pigmentation, to optimise results. Top up treatments may also be required every 6 to 12 months, or at certain times of the year, such as after the summer months.

Diathermy for pigmentation

If the pigmentation appears as a number of isolated patches on the skin of the face, then we may offer diathermy. Diathermy is an energy-based treatment which essentially, burns off the top layer of pigmented skin. This action then allows the normal skin colour to reappear over a course of weeks, as the skin heals itself. This treatment is an ablative, one off treatment which offers a more intensive effect, and immediate result than with creams and peels.

Hyperpigmentation skin resurfacing

Finally the device-led treatments for pigmentation we offer here at Mirabel Clinic are IPL and ResurFX and these are applied using the Lumenis M22 device. These powerful technologies, used individually or combined, can gradually fade the pigmented patches    over the course of a few months. These treatments are very effective but cannot be carried out on all skin types, especially very dark skin. They are also best carried out over the winter months, as minimal UV exposure is vital so as not to increase the risk of further pigmentation of the newly treated skin.

Pigmentation treatments in Swindon

Pigmentation doesn’t have to be something to be ‘put up with’ for life. As some pigmentation develops as the skin ages, it can be an unwelcome sign of the ageing process. Youthful skin looks even in tone and texture, so to maintain your skin to look its very best, reducing pigmentation will help rejuvenate and re-tone the skin to a more even appearance.

At Mirabel Clinic, we are experts in maintaining beautiful skin, no matter what your age. Our range of pigmentation treatments means that you are not limited on choice, when treating this condition.

We can build a bespoke hyperpigmentation treatment to suit you at a no-obligation, free consultation with one of our clinicians. To book, simply contact our friendly team today on 01793 321180 or email us via the contact page.