A friend texted me a selfie the other day and said they had “a med spa question.” They were pointing out an area of skin under the eye that was darker, slightly thinner, with more prominent wrinkles than on the rest of the face.
I thought this was a great question to share. Questions about how to treat hyperpigmentation (and all visible sun damage) are the most common, non-injectable questions I get asked, both by friends and through our social media.
Pigmentation can be stubborn but there are multiple straightforwards ways to treat it. As this friend was not prepared to do in-office treatments, my recommendations were for take-home products only. In-office treatments like BBL, Halo and Skin Pen are most effective for treating pigmentation, but you CAN see great results with skincare products too. But they won’t work if you don’t use them DAILY - so be prepared to be consistent!
PROBLEM AREA: The facial area in question is underneath the eye, which is the most delicate area on the face.
ISSUE: Uneven pigmentation, uneven texture, thinning skin, pronounced lines, specifically near the orbital rim, between the eye and the cheekbone.
SKIN TYPE: Historically acneic/problematic skin that’s normal to oily
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS:
Phloretin. This is an antioxidant that repairs environmental damage by neutralizing free radicals and also helps skin heal faster, particularly after sunburns or skin treatments. It is also very effective at breaking up pigment.
Corrective eye cream. Eye creams for those of us over forty should do more than just moisturize. Our most corrective eye cream is by Alastin. The Tri Hex technology cleans out the degraded collagen in the skin and stimulates growth of new collagen. This will help with improved skin texture, more elasticity and better structure.
Sunscreen. Elta UV Clear (non-tinted for men) is a daily facial sunscreen that is purely physical - no chemical properties here, and it is totally safe for you and for our environment.
Retinol. Always, always, always use a retinol. Skin Better’s Alpha Ret stimulates cell turnover for more elasticity, better texture, improved clarity and decreased pore size.
A corrective “moisturizer." Particularly after a Texas summer, added hydration for your sun-beaten skin is a bonus. I recommended HA Intensifier. It not only adds hydration but it also inhibits your body from degrading its own hyaluronic acid (hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring lubricant in the body that breaks down with age and environmental damage). Other options include: Skin Ceutical’s Triple Lipid, Skin Better’s Trio (also stops breakdown of HA), or Elta MD’s Barrier Renewal Complex. Broadly speaking, any one of these products will increase hydration, strength and improve the skin barrier, and minimize appearance of fine lines.
So those were my text recommendations. Have your own questions? Hit us up and we can help!