Pigmentation & Freckle Removal

Pigmentation occurs as a result of sun exposure, ageing, hormones (melasma), pregnancy (chloasma) and skin damage.

The pigment can be near the surface (easier to remove) or deeper in the skin (harder to remove) and is often at various levels in most patients.

In some people the use of light to medium chemical peels will help the pigmentation and speed up the treatment process. The peels are custom-made and designed to suit your needs. Combinations of AHA, BHA, Jessner and TCA peels will be mixed and layered to suit your skin. Freckles can be individually “spot-peeled” off.

If suitable, we will recommend a test patch of IPL or laser. Not everyone’s pigment can be treated with this equipment (darker skin types are often less suitable for laser / IPL).

Over the counter creams are usually not strong enough to make significant difference to pigment problems. We will custom-make a prescription strength cream for you to use and adjust the strength as your treatment progresses.

Generally, the longer the pigment has been present the harder it is to remove, but satisfactory reduction can usually be achieved in most patients. Generally a 40% improvement can be gained in 4 months, but this will depend on whether peels are used or just creams. The pigment improves gradually over time and sun exposure will make it recur after treatment (after-care creams will be recommended and freshen-up peels after treatment can keep improving the skin colour).

When treating pigmentation, avoiding sun / UV exposure is crucial. You must do the following:

• Every day, apply SPF 30 or higher broad spectrum sunscreen
• Wear a broad-rimmed hat to keep your face in shade (the material must not be see-through and a baseball cap will not do!)