Skin whitening treatment is a procedure that lightens dark areas or achieves a generally paler skin tone. It’s usually used to improve dark spots, dark patches, and birthmarks. It can be done by skin brightening creams or laser treatment.
How to whiten skin?
First off, skin-lightening products reduce the concentration or production of melanin in the skin. Melanin is a natural skin pigment that gives its color and helps protect it from UV rays. People with darker skin have more melanin, and hormones, sunlight, and certain chemicals can also affect melanin production.
Let’s talk about skin brightening creams.
Skin lighteners contain one or a combination of active ingredients that reduces the melanin in the skin. In fact, the most used active ingredient is hydroquinone. However, keep in mind over-the-counter products should have no more than 2% of hydroquinone. Other powerful ingredients are kojic acid, hyaluronic acid, and arbutin.
Look for a skin whitening cream with one or more of these ingredients to ensure you visibly reduce sun damage, age spots, or scars. If creams do not work for you, then you may try getting skin brightening pills. Then, instead of applying the cream every morning and evening, you take few capsules a day and be excited about upcoming changes.
However, if you want to go after hydroquinone of 4-6% to see significant results in a shorter time, consult with your doctor.
Now, let’s move to laser treatments.
Laser treatment is a straightforward process to lighten blemishes or dark patches of skin. This works by removing the outer layer of skin or damaging the cells that produce melanin. Still, it might not work for everyone.