31st Aug 2018

Uneven Skin Tone - What Causes This and How Do You Treat It?

Uneven skin tone can be a real problem for any woman, as radiant, healthy facial skin is seen by many to be the epitome of beauty and youth. Of course, everybody wants to maintain a youthful appearance for as long as possible, so treating your facial skin with kindness and dealing with blotches and pigmentation just as soon as they occur can be vital in this respect.


There are a number of different ways skin tone can appear uneven, including red blotches, which could be due to stress or sensitive skin, rosacea, acne scars, hyperpigmentation or melasma. These are discussed in more detail below.

The good news, though, is that all these uneven skin problems can be corrected, so nobody needs to suffer the embarrassment of uneven skin tones permanently, or constantly feel a need to slap on layers of foundation to create a better appearance. Nothing's nicer than having the ability to display a "nude", sun-kissed appearance when the weather is hot or if you're on holiday, so taking care of any uneven skin tone should be a beauty essential for any woman.

About uneven skin tone

Use of the term hyperpigmentation is fairly common, but it covers a number of skin conditions that leave skin with darker patches or a discoloured appearance. So, many of the conditions noted above may well just be labelled hyperpigmentation by professionals, and could be age spots or sun damage, or discolouration that's caused by skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.

In essence, skin rashes, acne and sunlight act to stimulate melanocytes which are the cells that make pigment within the skin. This causes a surplus amount of pigment to be made. Dr Adam Friedman, who is an associate professor of dermatology at the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates, explains that this can cause melanocytes "to dump their pigment into lower levels of the skin, like tattoo pigment, where it doesn't belong. The deeper the pigment, the tougher it is to treat. Put it this way: A section of skin that's been consistently exposed to harmful UV rays without the proper protection will be harder to diminish than say, a dark spot leftover from a pimple that you've been careful to shield from the sun. In other words, the level of severity varies, but if you spot discoloration on your skin that wasn't there before, it's safe to assume it's hyperpigmentation. But always consult your doctor to be sure, of course".

Melasma is one form of hyperpigmentation and is a common pigmentary condition affecting many people. It tends to appear as discolouration of skin and this will look at its worst when exposed to sunlight. Hyperpigmentation can refer to any darkening of the skin but melasma usually only occurs in women, particularly if they have darker skin tones. The condition is believed to be triggered by exposure to UV rays and hormonal changes. The influence of hormones makes this condition more difficult to treat. Dr Friedman comments: "Hormonal influences play a significant role here, as seen by the increased prevalence of pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, and other hormonal therapies. The problem is preventing its worsening, especially from the hormonal angle, as it can be hard to remove the instigating factors."

Most women will be able to identify if they have melasma as it generally looks like symmetric and blotchy hyperpigmented patches, which are usually on the bridge of the nose, cheeks, forehead, upper lip or chin. Although it can also display on other parts of the body, including the neck and forearms, following exposure to the sun. Most people with this condition comment that it will get worse in summer months and ease off through winter. It quite often appears throughout pregnancy or just after beginning hormonal birth control treatments.

Available treatments

There are a wide range of available treatments for hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, including skin correctors, laser treatment and skin peels.

Some of the most effective treatments are skin correcting creams and lotions, as they not only work to brighten skin and reduce the appearance of dark patches, but also hydrate and moisturise at the same time. Skin correctors containing ingredients like vitamin Cniacinamidekojic acidarbutin and even turmeric can be extremely efficient skin brighteners and help correct pigmentation and darker patches. You should expect these to be effective after using for a minimum of four weeks, but the results will vary between individuals. Very often these types of creams will give protection against UV rays, so they are an ideal solution for hyperpigmentation that's exacerbated when you spend time in the sun.

You'll be amazed by the effect that can be achieved by these skin correcting creams, as blemishes, acne scars, age spots and darker pigmentation will really just fade away over a matter of time, giving you the even skin tone and perfect complexion you're seeking.