Addressing Pigmentation Problem among Nigerians
Aesthetic experts have proferred solutions to skin challenges like pigmentation, patches and discolouration, adding that they can be addressed to give those affected the glowing skin they deserve. Martins Ifijeh writes
Ever wondered why many Nigerians now adorn a fairer and lighter skin in a bid to mask their normal skin coloration and look like whites? Wonder no more: for many of such persons, adorning a fairer skin gives them the needed glow for body confidence and beauty. To others, this glow typifies how healthy they look. But the West African black coloration, which is now being toned into the fairer skin type is one unique skin type that comes with the highest amount of melanin every other race would crave for because of its benefits.
For instance, health experts believe dark pigmented people living in high sunlight environment like Nigeria are at an advantage due to the high amounts of melanin produced in their skin, as it protects from DNA damage and absorbs the right amounts of ultra violet radiation needed by the body, as well as protects against folate depletion.
However, despite the benefits and beauty associated with the colour, many Nigerians still lack confidence in how they look because being black to them comes with uneven skin tone and patchy discolouration which, they believe makes their skin not good enough.
While these uneven patches and discolourations are seen in the skin of all races, it is often common with people from African descent because the darker the skin, the more prone people are to having these skin challenges.
The most common form of this irregular pigmentation is hyper-pigmentation, a condition in which patches of skin become darker in colour than the normal surrounding skin, often caused by sun damage, among others.
Tackling Discolouration
It is in tackling this discolouration and patches, such that all Nigerians can love the skin they are in, that the Founder, Clinicbe Skin of Colour, Dr. Barbara Kubicka is creating awareness on how common issues around skin colour can be addressed in Nigeria. She said variations in skin colour can be very noticeable and may tend to get worse with sun exposure, adding that treatments with bleaching creams can be counter-productive or even dangerous.
According to the aesthetic physician, “Pigmentation is a challenging issue and treatment is not a ‘quick fix’. For best results, at-home skincare regimes must be carefully followed every day and all professional peels and masks applied as per the treatment programme will produce results over time. With ongoing attention, the skin will respond, so results develop over a couple of months.”
Hyper-pigmentation
Health experts say a major pigmentation issue affecting blacks, like typical Nigerians is hyperpigmentation, which usually appears as brown spots and dark patches on the face, chest, arms, hands and other parts of the body. It often occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin colour, forms deposits in the skin. They believed sun exposure; acne, genetics and hormonal changes can trigger or worsen irregular pigmentation in the body.
Hyper-pigmentation is known to be associated with a number of skin conditions and diseases such as melasma (a skin condition more common in women and thought to be related to hormones as in pregnancy, use of combined contraceptives, HRT, etc), Tinea (fungal infection usually in moist areas e.g. armpits, under breasts, groin etc) and a host of other medical conditions. Hyper-pigmentation is also seen following injury to the skin or inflammation of the skin which leads to PIH.
While hyper-pigmentation can affect other races, it is believed that the intense sun light in places like Nigeria makes the skin issue somewhat more commoner in this part of the world. And in addressing this, many Nigerians ignorantly switch to bleaching creams which has been proven to be counter-productive.
Kubicka who is an aesthetic physician and specialises in treating challenging pigmentation problems for all tones of skin, believes the condition can be 100 per cent tackled to give Nigerians the glowing skin they deserve.
Discussing her experience with THISDAY, Kubicka said a 57-year-old woman concerned about facial hyper-pigmentation as a result of sun exposure once visited her clinic for treatment. She said over the counter skin care products the woman used before the visit were ineffective, causing her confidence level to deteriorate because her skin continued to worsen, impacting on her social life and self-esteem.
“I then prescribed a tailor-made programme of treatment to improve her complexion, combining an at-home regime of ‘Me Line’ products, which are designed for treating pigmentation and only available from selected skincare professionals. I also prescribed Obagi hydroquinone overnight cream to more intensively tackle the darker pigmentation areas.
“Skin of colour requires a completely different approach. TCA chemical peels, laser or IPL (intense pulsed light treatment) are often recommended by less knowledgeable aestheticians in the expectation that they will improve the complexion.
“However, when dealing with skin of colour, these treatments can cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or hypo-pigmentation – making the discolouration significantly worse. Patients with darker skin types are also more susceptible to burns. The key is to manage the risks of any treatment while ensuring that it is effective,” she said.
The renowned doctor who has one of her clinics in Lagos said after the initial pigmentation treatment programme, it is important to select an appropriate maintenance skincare regime for use at home, adding that the team at Clinicbe will continue to make suitable recommendations for Nigerians who require glowing skin without skin patches.
Pigmentation is a challenging issue and treatment is not a ‘quick fix’. For best results, athome skincare regimes must be carefully followed every day and all professional peels and masks applied as per the treatment programme will produce results over time. With ongoing attention, the skin will respond, so results develop over a couple of months