Everything you need to know about hyperpigmentation and brown spots on the skin

• Melanin is a pigment secreted by the skin to protect it from the sun.

• It is what eventually results in a tan, but if its production is not sustained, it gives rise to skin blemishes.

• There are 4 primary kinds: hyperpigmentation blemishes, melasma (or the “mask of pregnancy”), freckles, and acne blemishes.

• It is vital to have your skin checked regularly by a qualified healthcare professional.

• Active ingredients that block the production of melanin and/or its delivery to epidermal cells are used to treat skin blemishes.

To effectively prevent and treat skin blemishes, it is essential to know where they come from. In the vast majority of cases, melanin is responsible. 

Normally, this pigment is responsible for skin color and acts as a natural UV filter to protect the skin from the sun. Melanin absorbs UV radiation, preventing it from reaching our DNA and damaging our skin cells. But sometimes, certain factors can disrupt the melanin cycle and lead to the appearance of blemishes on the skin. Some explanations.

Where and how is melanin produced ?

Melanin is made in the deeper layers of the epidermis by specialized cells called melanocytes.

The mechanism by which melanin is produced is called melanogenesis. It consists of two main stages: 

• Melanin synthesis: Melanin is produced in melanocytes thanks to an enzyme and stored in small vesicles called melanosomes.

• The distribution of melanin throughout the epidermis: Melanosomes are then transported to the cells of the epidermis (keratinocytes), whose DNA they protect by forming a protective barrier.  

The two kinds of melanin

Melanocytes can make two different kinds of melanin:

• Eumelanin, which is dark brown/black in color

• Pheomelanin, which has a yellowish-to-reddish tint.

Skin color is determined by the ratio of these two kinds of melanin. In cosmetics and dermatology, this is called the skin phototype. This is an important concept, which allows us to characterize a skin type according to its natural capacity to protect itself from UV radiation or, conversely, to get sunburn. 

The regulation of melanin production

The factors mentioned above are determined by genetics, but they can also be influenced by our environment.

When exposed to the sun, melanin synthesis increases — we know this phenomenon as tanning. When such exposure is kept under control, there’s nothing to worry about as the skin protects itself. But if the amount of UV radiation received exceeds the skin’s capacity to absorb it, if we are exposed to too much pollution, or if our hormones levels change significantly, proper melanin secretion is compromised. It is overproduced, leading to the formation of clusters that quickly develop into blemishes. 

As we’ve just seen, all skin blemishes share melanin as a common feature. But this doesn’t mean that they’re all the same. There are 4 main kinds of skin blemish: 

• Hyperpigmentation blemishes, also known as age spots or liver spots, are caused by excessive exposure to the sun. They generally occur in areas that tend to be less protected by clothing, such as the face, neck, forearms, etc. These clusters of melanin form over time and usually become visible after the age of 40, and are one of the main signs of skin aging.

•  Melasma, or the mask of pregnancy when present in pregnant women, is primarily caused by hormonal imbalances. So, this means that it doesn’t only occur during pregnancy but also as a result of certain medical treatments (like birth control) or hormonal imbalances. It is also highly hereditary. Melasma is unrelated to the liver spots mentioned above. It also presents as brown spots on the skin of the face, but they are much more diffuse, hence the “mask” name. It’s also worth noting that melasma is not only found in women. In some parts of the world, it can affect a significant proportion of the male population.

• Freckles,  whose scientific name is ephelides, are small pigmentation spots on the skin, usually orange or light brown in color. They mostly appear on sun-exposed areas such as the face, nose, and cheeks, and sometimes on the shoulders and back. They can affect all skin types but mainly develop in fair-skinned people who tan very little or not at all and tend to develop these spots when exposed to UV radiation.

• Acne can also leave blemishes that persist even after pimples clear. They are red or brown in color.  Acne is an inflammatory disease that is responsible, among other things, for an excessive production of melanin, which builds up in the areas affected by pimples. Once the pimples clear up, the excess melanin remains, leaving blemishes. 

Please note that we have chosen to include this section for precautionary reasons. It is not intended for use as a diagnostic tool and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.

In the vast majority of cases described above, pigmentation spots on the skin may be considered unappealing, but they are not dangerous in themselves.

However, it’s important to be aware of some warning signs related to melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can develop from an existing spot or appear as a new lesion. Below are the main things to look out for, often summed up as the “ABCDE” rule:

• A for Asymmetry: a spot or mole is asymmetrical if one side doesn’t look like the other.

• B for Border: irregular, jagged, or blurred borders can indicate a problem, unlike those of a freckle, which are usually well-defined.

• C for Color: a melanoma can exhibit many colors, including shades of brown, black, red, white, or blue. Healthy blemishes and moles, on the other hand, are usually a single color.

• D for Diameter: a spot or mole measuring more than 6 mm (about the size of a pencil eraser) is a warning sign. Melanomas can be smaller, but this size is a useful guide.

• E for Evolving: any change in the size, shape, color, or texture of a spot, or the appearance of new symptoms such as itching, bleeding, or crusting, should be taken seriously.

Other warning signs include a spot that won’t heal, a mole that oozes or bleeds, or the appearance of open lesions or ulcerations.

Whatever the case, in addition to applying high-quality sun protection when out in the sun, it’s essential to consult a dermatologist regularly to have your skin checked, just as you would your teeth at the dentist. 

Bear in mind what was said above about melanin synthesis. It is produced thanks to an enzyme and stored in small vesicles (melanosomes) before being distributed to the epidermal cells (keratinocytes). 

As blemishes are caused by a localized surplus of melanin, the solution to preventing or alleviating them is to prevent melanin from accumulating in skin cells. Therefore, to stop the production of melanin and have an effect on blemishes, we need to either halt the activity of the enzyme that produces it or prevent the delivery of melanin to the cells of the epidermis.

These are precisely the things targeted by the active ingredients selected by FILORGA’s formulation experts.

Blocking the production of melanin

To prevent melanin secretion, we use vitamin C and glabridin, a polyphenol extracted from licorice root. These two compounds have a powerful enzyme-inhibiting effect on all melanin synthesis pathways. 

Blocking the delivery of melanin

Extract of the brown seaweed “rainbow wrack” (Cystoseira tamariscifolia) prevents the delivery of melanin to epidermal cells, making it impossible for blemishes to form. 

These three active ingredients are the key ingredients of our SKIN UNIFY treatments and are inspired by laser skin resurfacing techniques. They target each stage responsible for the development of skin blemishes.