Unleash radiant, evenly toned skin with customized treatments
Healthy and attractive skin is generally soft, smooth, and even in color. When your skin tone is uneven, you may feel embarrassed about dark spots and other types of discoloration. Fortunately for our neighbors in and around Lanham, Maryland, Dr. Asongtia Ntonghawah and Access Medspa Rejuvenate are here to help. Dr. Ntonghawah and our team are well-equipped to accurately evaluate your areas of concern and recommend the best ways to restore and bring out your most radiant and healthy-looking skin.
What causes uneven skin tone?
Patients that we treat with uneven skin tone often have hyperpigmentation. This term refers to dots, spots, and bigger areas of the skin that are darker than the surrounding tissue. The color of these spots that stick out from the rest of the skin (like “ugly ducklings”) can vary depending on your skin tone. For instance, lighter-skinned patients tend to have pink, red, gray, or brown discoloration. Those with darker or more melanin-rich skin may be bothered by discoloration that appears dark brown or black. Hyperpigmentation is generally associated with sun damage. The ultraviolet light from the sun’s rays and artificial sources like tanning beds can activate the melanocytes to produce more melanin or skin pigment. Eventually, the dark pigment clusters together to form freckles, solar lentigines (“age spots” or “sunspots”), post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and melasma. The latter two types of hyperpigmentation also have different “risk factors.”
What are the other causes of PIH and melasma?
PIH is associated with trauma to the skin. Often, past acne breakouts may be to blame for tan, brown, or purple discoloration; however, any condition that irritates or inflames the skin may lead to PIH. Culprits include allergies, infections, eczema, psoriasis, and even bug bites. Melasma is strongly linked to hormonal fluctuations, particularly in estrogen and progesterone. Melasma affects only 10% of individuals who are assigned male at birth. Pregnant women are the most affected group. For this reason, melasma is often called the “mask of pregnancy” and is also associated with a specific term, chloasma (which refers to melasma that specifically affects pregnant women).
Why is it so important to understand the TYPE of hyperpigmentation?
Access Medspa Rejuvenate cannot treat what it does not know or understand. With any condition, we must evaluate the areas of concern and collect as much information as possible to diagnose accurately. Accurate diagnoses drive treatments that target the real, underlying cause of the disease or concern. By accurately identifying the issue, we can alleviate the symptoms and resolve the problem. So, such diagnostics support treatments that are effective and safe. As it relates specifically to hyperpigmentation, some medications, medical-grade products, and in-office therapies we recommend are better for certain types of discoloration than others.
Once we know what you need, we can recommend the right treatment or combination of therapies well-suited to those needs. It’s important to understand that certain pre-cancers and cancerous lesions can resemble benign age spots, freckles, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). With Dr. Ntonghawah’s expertise, she is able to accurately determine the nature of any concerning changes in your skin. If necessary, she may refer you to specialists for further evaluation.
What are some examples of those treatments?
Pharmaceutical-grade topical products and medications may be recommended to lighten and brighten affected areas. We also have options beyond what can be found in a tube or bottle. Dr. Ntonghawah has invested in the technologies and training to support the effective removal of damaged skin cells. She accomplishes this with laser/light-based treatments, microneedling, and resurfacing with chemical peels. With so many possible manifestations and causes of uneven skin tone, we encourage you to schedule a consultation today so we can determine your needs. Serving Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Charles counties, our team in Lanham, MD, may be reached at (301) 830-8533.
