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Melasma Hyperpigmentation: Causes & Best Treatments

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Hyperpigmentation and Melasma are two of the most common skin conditions that cause skin pigmentation and discolouration, but they are not the same condition.

Hyperpigmentation is a very broad diagnosis for any type of skin condition that causes discoloured or darkened skin. Common causes are sun damage, acne scarring and inflammation.

Hyperpigmentation can appear as freckles, dark spots, sun spots or large fark areas and vary in severity from covering small areas of the face to much larger areas.

What is melasma?

Melasma is actually a very common pigmentation disorder that appears as brown or even grey coloured patches upon the face. Women are more likely to be affected than men.

You are most likely to see melasma on the upper lip, cheeks, forehead, or bridge of the nose but it can also appear on the shoulders, neck, and forearms.

What causes Melasma?

The cause of melasma on face can be tricky to determine but it is thought to occur when the colour making cells in the skin known as melanocytes produce too much colour.

There are known triggers for melasma, the most common being a change in hormones which can occur during pregnancy, but other factors include:

  • Birth control medication
  • Skin care products
  • Sun exposure
  • Genetics

You are also more likely to be affected by melasma if you are from an Asian, middle eastern, Mediterranean, African, Indian, or Latin descent with darker skin tones.

Do I have melasma?

Melasma can be diagnosed following a consultation with either a doctor or dermatologist. They may take a biopsy which involves removing a very small section of skin which will then be examined in a lab.

As melasma is commonly misdiagnosed as other skin hyperpigmentation conditions it is best to get a proper diagnosis before trying to treat melasma.

How is melasma treated?

In most cases, especially if the melasma is as a result of hormonal changes due to birth control medication or pregnancy then it will gradually fade once you give birth or stop taking birth control.

If melasma is showing no sign of fading, then there are treatments available to help remove or fade the patches.

Melasma and Hyperpigmentation treatments

Obagi

We have a great range of products available at our clinics and after a consultation with one of our skin specialists, they will be able to recommend a great treatment plan to help reduce the appearance of melasma. The Obagi Nu-Derm system is a great prescription treatment option and best treatment for melasma on face. The Nu-Derm system is a complete skin care system that uses prescription strength hydroquinone that is formulated to target skin discoloration and help you achieve a more healthier looking and even skin tone.

Chemical Peel

We have a wide range of skin peel treatments available which can be customised to address your skin type and any skin concerns including melasma. Chemical peel treatments work by helping to remove skin cells that contain excess pigment to achieve a brighter and more even skin tone.

Other treatments include microdermabrasion which can be used in combination with the treatments above to help to achieve the best results and maintain them with regular treatment.

Laser treatments such as the Pearl Laser Resurfacing treatment can be used to treat melasma however in some cases it can make it worse so a thorough assessment of the skin would need to be carried out ahead of treatment. In most

How to avoid Melasma and Hyperpigmentation?

Taking care of your skin is the best way to avoid melasma and hyperpigmentation. This includes wearing sun cream everyday and avoiding excessive sun exposure.

Hyperpigmentation melasma treatment at The Private Clinic

To find out more about our treatments for hyperpigmentation and melasma, contact us on 0333 920 2471 or use our online contact form.

Treatment clinics are located in London Harley Street, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Northampton.

Breast Reduction – Emily

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Emily is 22 years old and had a bilaterial breast reduction with Medical Director, Mr Adrian Richards at the Shelburne Hospital.

Watch Emily’s video and find out more about her reasons for deciding on surgery and how it has changed her life.

I don’t have any body hangs ups now, I feel very confident again and can wear whatever I like.

Emily had always struggled with the size of her large breasts as they weighed heavily on her back.  This impacted on her enjoyment of taking part in certain sports and choosing clothes to wear.

She spoke with many people before deciding on the surgery to make sure she got lots of information and advice.  The team at the Paddocks clinic in Princes Risborough made her feel calm and relaxed and she feels she made the right decision for her.

Book a consultation today

*All of our patient stories are based on the personal experiences of our patients and represent individual body shapes and results. Please bear in mind that result s may vary from person to person. All testimonies are provided voluntarily by our patients and clients. Their comments have not been altered in any way, and their experiences are their own.

Varicose Veins – Jen

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Jen had been feeling insecure about her legs for a long time but since she noticed varicose veins starting to appear she has felt even worse as no amount of diet or exercise was going to reduce the appearance of them.

“For every girl displaying their perfect pins on Instagram, there’s me hoping they don’t show or hiding them away.”

Jen had varicose veins on both of her legs with her left knee being the most prominent, this was the one she wanted to focus on first with the aim of getting her right leg treated too if successful.

It wasn’t just the physical appearance of the veins that bothered Jen. She found herself feeling uncomfortable and her legs feeling heavy if she had spent the day on her feet. Jen also experienced itching and discomfort around the vein on a regular basis too.

Jen initially went to see her GP to try and find out the cause of her varicose veins but the usual causes did not apply to her which left her feeling even more helpless.

“It’s usually related to pregnancy, being overweight (sure, I’d like to lose a few pounds but not so much so that I would fall into this category) or spending a lot of time on your feet. None of which apply to me and can’t be the cause. So why it’s happened to me, I don’t know.”

Although Jen tried not to let her varicose veins determine what she did and didn’t feel comfortable wearing she did find; especially in the summer months her fear of wearing a dress without tights particularly frustrating.

“You won’t find me in a short dress that exposes them (not without tights) jeans or trousers are usually my friend. Which has made heatwave dressing a challenge!”

Jen decided that the time had come to finally do something about her troublesome varicose veins and came to visit us at our Harley Street Clinic to find out more about our range of varicose vein treatments including EVLA (Endovenous Laser Ablation).

“I met with Mr Rittoo who immediately made me feel at ease. He explained the procedure and that it’s a fairly simple and quick – It’s walk-in, walk-out so minimal drama around it.  Which is good, I am of course nervous – as I think is normal having any sort of medical treatment really. But overall I’m really excited. I know I’m in great hands with The Private Clinic who have a long history of treating varicose veins.”

Jen went ahead with an EVLA procedure to treat the underlying causes of varicose veins and a micro phlebectomy to treat the visible branch varicose veins.

“Mr Rittoo – who saw me for my consultation, operation and follow up – plus his team were all fantastic. In particular the nursing staff too, who were very caring and comforting when was having a bit of a nervous wobble on the operation table.”

The procedure itself doesn’t take long and Jen was able to leave the clinic shortly afterwards once she was feeling ready to do so and soon enough Jen was back to work and her usual activities although taking a bit easier than usual of course.

“No-one would have noticed had I not mentioned it myself”

Jen is now four months post-procedure as is feeling really happy with the results of her EVLA treatment and despite some incision marks still being visible she is much more comfortable about exposing them.

“I am really delighted when I look at my leg and no longer see the varicose vein there that made me feel so insecure. I can’t wait until next summer when the small incision marks that remain will hopefully be all healed and I can wear shorts without feeling like an awkward turtle.  I would 100% return to The Private Clinic for the same treatment again and would trust them to take good care of me for that second leg.”

To read more about Jen’s Varicose Vein treatment story you can read her blog here.

Book a consultation today

*All of our patient stories are based on the personal experiences of our patients and represent individual body shapes and results. Please bear in mind that result s may vary from person to person. All testimonies are provided voluntarily by our patients and clients. Their comments have not been altered in any way, and their experiences are their own.

Tummy Tuck – Esther

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Esther is 55 years old and had tummy tuck surgery with The Private Clinic.

Watch Esther’s video and find out more about her reasons for deciding on surgery and how it has changed her life.

I wear my jeans with confidence now as I have a flat stomach.  It’s really changed my life.

Esther had previously had a number of surgeries for medical reasons which left her with scars on her abdomen.  She felt unhappy with their appearance and the excess skin on her tummy.

Esther did lots of research on her procedure and on her surgeon.  She visited  our Harley Street clinic three times prior to deciding to progress to surgery.  She feels so much better about her body and can confidently wear a bikini on the beach and feel happy that the scars that impacted her so much are no longer affecting her.

Book a consultation today

*All of our patient stories are based on the personal experiences of our patients and represent individual body shapes and results. Please bear in mind that result s may vary from person to person. All testimonies are provided voluntarily by our patients and clients. Their comments have not been altered in any way, and their experiences are their own.

Eyebags, Face Contour, Cheeks/Jawline Fillers – Agnes

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Agnes, a London-based receptionist, wanted to refresh her look while bringing out her own distinctive features.

As a confident 37-year-old, she wanted to accentuate the flattering features of her face like her naturally contoured high cheekbones and striking eyes. At the very same time, she also wanted to improve her imperfections.

One of the main issues that she wanted to correct was the appearance of dark circles and undereye hollowing. As we age, we lose collagen, elastin and fat in this undereye zone, making it look dark and shadowed.

She was also concerned with improving definition across her jawline, to give her side profile a smoothly defined and contoured look.

Agnes’ Dermal Filler Treatment Journey

To address these concerns while adding definition to her already sculpted cheekbones, she sought the professional help of Dr Hanson Yu, an expertly qualified dermal filler injector at The Private Clinic. With years of experience in facial rejuvenation treatments and a passion for fuss-free procedures, he explained how Agnes could benefit from a series of hyaluronic acid injections across her jawline, cheeks, nasolabial folds and undereye area.

Dr Hanson discussed Agnes’ concerns in a detailed consultation first to get a clear understanding of her beauty requirements. He then recommended the application of deeply nourishing and refreshing fillers to add volume back to the areas that had lost volume, like her naso-labial folds and undereye hollows. Placement of filler across the cheeks and jawline were also recommended to enhance the definition and projection of her jaw and cheeks.

Agnes explains these areas of concern:

“My overall goal was to emphasise the features of my face that I was already happy with, like my visible cheekbones. However, my nasolabial wrinkles and hollowing under my eyes was giving me a constantly tired look. I also wanted to add greater definition to my jawline by creating a subtly pointed shape in my chin, which I always lacked.”

Dr Hanson designed a holistic plan to remove dark eye bags while beautifying the cheeks and jaw.

Dr Hanson’s Recommended Treatments

Dr Hanson utilised soft dermal fillers to restore plumpness and volume to hollow areas. He then used stronger consistencies to produce a sculpted projection to the cheekbones and jaw.

Tear Trough (Under eye) Fillers

Tear trough fillers instantly revitalised Agnes’ bold eyes. This minimised the appearance of her dark circles while brightening her periorbital area. She looked more awake, alert and refreshed as a result.

Cheek definition fillers

Cheek fillers helped to give Agnes a more defined look to her cheekbones. They also lifted and plumped the skin for a streamlined appearance.

Nasolabial Fold Fillers

Nose-to-mouth lines directly contributed to Agnes’ tired appearance. By injecting volumising fillers into these deep creases, Dr Hanson was able to smooth them away, giving Agnes a youthful uplift.

Chin augmentation fillers

Chin fillers gave the chin and jawline a more angular and structured shape. Prior to her treatment, it was difficult to detect a clear distinction between her chin and neck area. With this in mind, Dr Hanson applied fillers around Agnes’ chin to correct this lack of definition while giving it a gentle yet natural sense of projection. This also has the added benefit of slimming the surface of the chin.

The Results

Agnes was instantly impressed with her visibly lifted and contoured results:

“My cheeks look lifted and I can see the shape of my chin finally. I’m very happy overall and could see the results straight away.”

Agnes also commended the natural look of the results:

“The results look amazing, yet very natural. My face glows again and my chin has a much better shape! Dr Hanson is very professional and has a great sense of patient needs. He perfectly addressed my imperfections and knew what had to be corrected and what facial features he needed to accentuate.”

Before and After Photos – Agnes

Front

dermal filler treatment to tear trough, cheeks, mouth and chin results

Side

dermal filler treatment to tear trough, cheeks, mouth and chin results

A Painless Lift

When asked about her favourite part of the treatment process, the fact that it was so comfortable and painless was a big win for her:

“The treatments were painless, which was a big surprise to me as I am very sensitive and I often find treatments to my face uncomfortable. Overall, I highly recommend the experience.”

Book a consultation today

Jawline/Undereye Fillers – Luke

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Luke, a Leeds-based content creator and photographer, decided to improve his appearance with the help of uplifting dermal fillers.

For some time, he has been concerned by the visible look of his undereye area. This prompted him to seek out a non-surgical dermal filler treatment to give his appearance a welcome refresh.

As a busy influencer, he regularly spends his time both behind and in front of the camera lens, shooting creative campaigns for a range of well-known brands. This has put his face under the spotlight, prompting him to notice areas that could perhaps benefit from a cosmetic revamp.

Luke’s Dermal Filler Treatment Journey

With this in mind, he reached out to Dr Hanson Yu, an expertly trained aesthetic doctor and dermal filler practitioner based at The Private Clinic. With years of experience in facial rejuvenation and a passion for zero-fuss, minimally invasive treatments, he explained how Luke could benefit from Tear Trough Filler treatments to revitalise his undereye zone.

Dr Hanson discussed Luke’s facial concerns to get a clear understanding of his ultimate goals. After listening to Luke’s needs and understanding the demands of his creative job, Dr Hanson recommended the placement of deeply nourishing hyaluronic acid fillers to a range of different areas across Luke’s face. Luke also wanted to improve his jawline, which he felt he needed to further define and sculpt in order to achieve the right look during his photoshoots:

Luke explains:

“The undereye area was one of the areas that I really wanted to sort out. After speaking with Dr Hanson about the issue I’ve got with my eyes, he also recommended what he could do to my jaw to improve that because I have had issues with my jaw where I clench my own teeth for photos to give that structured look to my jaw.”

Based on this feedback, Dr Hanson put forward a holistic treatment plan with dermal fillers to enhance the shape of Luke’s masculine jawline while also adding volume and hydration just beneath his eyes.

Dr Hanson’s Treatment Recommendations

Dr Hanson developed a holistic plan to brighten, smooth and replenish Luke’s skin while improving his chiselled, masculine look.

Tear Trough (hollow under eye)  Rejuvenation

Addressing Luke’s primary concern, Dr Hanson injected hyaluronic acid into the slightly sunken skin just beneath Luke’s eyes. This helped to minimise the appearance of dark circles while restoring volume and brightening the periorbital area.

Cheek Contouring

Dr Hanson was able to give Luke improved facial definition around the cheeks by strategically placing hyaluronic acid cheek fillers into Luke’s mid-face area. This easily applied cheek enhancement can help to create ‘male model’ cheeks that look streamlined and ultra-defined.

Male Jawline Contouring

He also targeted Luke’s jawline to give Luke’s naturally chiselled bone structure greater definition. This gave Luke a desirable angular look that would stand out during his creative content campaigns.

Luke’s Results

When asked about his thoughts on the facial filler treatment, he was amazed by how he has gained the desired aesthetic he has always wanted:

“The aftereffect is unreal. I’ve achieved the aesthetic that I’ve been trying to get myself without putting any effort in. It’s incredible. I’m blown away by the results.”

He was also impressed by how easy and painless the procedure was:

“I can’t get over how easy it was if I’m honest. The whole thing was so simple. It’s painless, but I imagined that it would be a lot more painful. I thought the process was going to take a lot longer, but it’s quick and easy.”

Subtle but different

He also commended Dr Hanson’s expert method of achieving transformative results in an understated way:

“When I first looked at it, I couldn’t believe the difference. It’s subtle but different and my confidence is going to be through the roof” from now on. So much so that he is comfortable recommending the treatment to “absolutely everyone” and even his mum.

Before and after photos – Luke

Front

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