The harsh effects of powerful skin products can be particularly damaging to black skin, and can cause pigmented scars and uneven skin tone that will not clear naturally.
The culprits include some acne treatments, psoriasis and eczema creams, and skin-lightening products. While some medical treatments, when prescribed by a doctor, can relieve the symptoms of certain skin conditions, others that can be bought over the counter can cause permanent skin damage.
Skin-lightening products are often used to treat the condition vitiligo, but if used incorrectly they can cause thinning of the skin and permanent bleaching. The bleaching will not necessarily be uniform and may leave blotches, uneven tone, redness and even intense irritation.
Laser treatment for black skin can provide a solution, however. The programmes aim to eliminate pigmentation in scars and uneven skin tone by using Advanced Intense Pulsed Light Therapy. The light used on problem areas causes lesions to heat up and excess pigmentation to disperse, resulting in a clear and even skin tone.
The light treatment is used in conjunction with microdermabrasion, which deeply exfoliates skin, encourages regeneration and removes superficial epidermal layers that may contain excess pigmentation.
