Hyperpigmentation has always been the bane of an Indian woman’s existence.  Even those of us who’ve grown up outside of India are often confronted with aunties and disapproving moms clucking at how dark we have become after normal summer activities.  We roll our eyes at our moms and snicker at the numerous fairness commercials on desi tv.  You’ve seen them, the dusky girl or guy who just can’t get the job or the handsome guy or pretty girl until they’ve applied a magic cream that turns them into fairer and thus lovelier versions of themselves and all is right with the world.   

Even those of us who are content with our level of fairness and smugly aware of the greater protection from the sun our complexions afford us, run into a few snags.  Read on for some solutions for common problems with hyperpigmentation in those of us with a darker tone.

Face

Sun Spots - Solar lentigines ( “age” or “liver” spots by the truly unkind).  These result from sun exposure which causes melanin producing cells start churning out pigment.  

Acne scars - Like the insult following injury, the angry red spot finally disappears, leaving behind a darker scar that takes weeks to fade out, and often doesn’t disappear completely.

Prevention - Even if you are brown and loving it, minimize your exposure to the sun (especially between the hours of 10 and 4) and always use sunscreen.  SPF 15 is the minimum required amount and you do need to reapply it during the day.   Find a formula that is non-comedogenic and provides a good coverage against UV A and B rays (A is the one that one causes photoaging, B causes burning and leads to skin cancers).  Look for one that contains Avobenzone, and reapply every few hours (not just at the beach) since many ingredients tend to breakdown with exposure to light.  

Treatment - To treat brown spots and scars that are already there, there are several options that your dermatologist can help you with, including prescription Retin-A, lasers, and topical hydroquinone.  If you want to tackle it yourself, you have many options as well, since cosmetic companies are now marketing their brightening creams in the US markets as well.  (They were once limited to the Asian markets.)   

Some Ingredients to look for:

• Kojic Acid and alpha-arbutin : both function to limit melanin production 
• Meladerm ($50), Biotica Spot Whitening Serum ($29), Saphoros Pigment Balancing Complex ($39.95)
• N-acetyl glucosamine  and niacinamide – prevent melanin that is already made from being taken up by skin cells 
• Olay Definity ($20), 3Lab Perfect Glow Complex ($95)
• Vitamin C has also been shown to brighten skin and prevent and treat dark spots
• Suki Intensive Brightening Cream ($55), Origins Brighter by Nature Serum ($39)

Body

For people with a deeper skin tone, layers of build up leads to the appearance of darkness in areas of thickness, such as knees, elbows etc.  Unlike the spots that appear on the face this has little to do with the sun, and more to do with the function of the skin and these joints.  The skin here is generally thicker and the layers contribute to the appearance of darkness. (Just think of the hours you’ve whiled away with your on your hand attempting to look studious and interested while people drone on.)     

The best way to deal with these areas is to gently, but thoroughly scrub the area in the shower and then follow up with a good moisturizer.  Don’t go overboard with the scrubbing, since you don’t want to thin out the skin too much.  Be consistent with your regime and you should see improvement in both the texture and the appearance of these areas within about two weeks.  

Some items to try in the shower:

• Juice Beauty Green Apple Body Peel ($49) 
• Origins Incredible Spreadable Scrub ($26)
• Tree Hut Body Scrub in Brazillian Nut ($7)   

Some items to try after the bath:

• Amlactin  ($17)
• L’occitane 100% Shea Butter ($39)