Skin whitening treatments and the treatment providers ride joyously over the fantasy of those millions of people who are desirous of turning their dark complexions lighter. No wonder, white skin has enthralled communities for centuries and symbolized richness and many more things. Medical science has responded with skin whitening treatments from time to time to cater to the demand.
Skin whitening treatments are essentially categorized under two divisions for achieving certain degree of efficacy.
1. Treatment for preventing darkening of skin by sun protection
2. Treatment to reduce melanin concentration in the skin
The two way skin whitening treatments signify the mammoth effort required for whitening the dark complexioned skin and appropriate treatment products and methodologies are available in the market.
Treatment for Preventing Darkening Of Skin by Sun Protection
Sun protection is the first and your best treatment for skin whitening yet apparently because it prevents your skin from darkening. Not surprisingly enough, this step applies to people with genetically dark skins too. Protecting your skin from sun (in effect, from harmful UV rays) is by using sun screens of appropriate dosages and an indicator well known as SPF (Sun Protection Factor.) For best results, base your choice of sunscreens on following aspects:
1. Your age and skin type
2. Expected average time and type of sun exposure (ex: whether swimming etc)
3. Your expected time to withstand sun without getting burned
Remember, the higher the intensity of UV rays, lower the SPF required. For example, UV-A rays of 320 and 400 nanometers would suffice with SPF 15 and UV-B radiation with wavelength of 290 and 320nm needs sunscreen strength of upto 30.
While sunscreens prevent entry of UV rays into our skins and thus preventing melanocytes from producing extra melanin, the second line of skin whitening treatments work at reducing the melanin accumulations.
Treatment to Reduce Melanin Concentration in the Skin
The second line of skin whitening treatments have a wide ranging options starting from topical applications to chemical peeling to laser, surgical and cryogenic techniques. Topical treatments with creams may be not very efficient on African and Asian people who have genetically dark skin complexions but prescription creams (containing hydroquinone, kojic, azealic and ascorbic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid) work as inhibitors of melanin producing pigments and enzymes such as tyrosinase and melanocyte cells more efficiently than OTC products. Laser and cryogenic surgeries involve certain degree of pain and recuperation time of up to 3-4 weeks.
Despite all these advancements, healthy skin retains its shape and vivacity regardless of color. What you should remember is none of these skin whitening treatments can guarantee a complete make over.
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