Is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation permanent?
At Epara Skincare, a lot of our customers come to us asking about hyperpigmentation. We consider ourselves experts in this area, as many of our products are specifically designed to tackle the effects of hyperpigmentation on the face and body. We are often asked, ‘Is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation permanent?’, and the simple answer is no, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is not permanent, but it is important to understand what it is and what can be done to speed up the healing process.
What is post inflammatory hyperpigmentation?
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is temporary pigmentation, or discoloration, of the skin following an injury or damage to the skin. More often than not, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is caused by acne, which leaves behind areas of discoloration on the skin that can be red, pink, white, purple, black or brown, depending on skin tone. People with darker skin colours are more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation as they produce a higher rate of melanin.
It’s not just acne that causes post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation though, and it can appear after any injury to the skin such as a scrape or rash, sunburn, dermatitis, infections or even after using chemical peels (find out the risks of using chemical peels here).
When the skin is injured, it becomes inflamed and the melanin-producing cells in your skin, known as melanocytes, start releasing excessive amounts of melanosomes, which are responsible for pigmentation, as the area heals. These melanosomes then cause the darkened patches which remain on the skin long after the injury has healed.
Does post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation go away?
With acne being a common cause of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, many people often worry that the areas of discoloration are actually acne scars, which would usually be permanent. However, if the skin's texture remains unchanged and it is only the colour which changes, it’s probably not acne scars and is in fact post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which should go away by itself, but it can take a long time, in some cases up to two years.
There are ways to speed up the process when trying to tackle post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and at Epara Skincare, we have developed products to do just that. By using our Moisturising Face Cream and Hydrating Serum as part of your daily skincare routine, you will see much quicker results in the quest to rid yourself of skin discolouration caused by post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Our moisturising face cream includes ingredients such as Shea Butter which acts as an anti-inflammatory and Licorice Root Extract to brighten the skin, while our hydrating serum uses Onopordum Acanthium Flower alongside other natural ingredients to help heal and repair the skin.
There are other steps you can take to help your post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation heal too, and one of the most important is to use sun protection to prevent it from getting worse. There is often no way to prevent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation as it is just a side effect of acne and other conditions, but with the right treatment, you can massively reduce the amount of time it takes to heal.