Do you have patchy skin? Well, it might be pigmentation. It is a condition where skin becomes either light or dark in comparison to your normal body colour. In minor cases, the skin gets patches and in major cases the entire skin gets affected.
Skin gets its colour by production of a substance called melanin. In case of pigmentation, melanin producing cells are either damaged or unhealthy. This may lead to an increase or decrease in melanin production.
Increased production leads to darkening of skin colour, whereas decreased production causes skin lightening. Though pigmentation can be caused due to various reasons, but it is commonly caused by prolonged exposure to sun. Various expensive treatments and cosmetics are available to treat the problem. Why go for them, when you can try cheaper and easily available materials. Listed in this article are some best remedies for pigmentation, do try them!
Best Home Remedies For Pigmentation
Mint
Mint has soothing properties. You might have noticed that if you take mint leaves in your mouth, it gives a cooling effect. This cooling effect of mint can be used to soothe the skin of sun tan which causes pigmentation. Crush some mint leaves to form a paste. For easy formation of paste, you can add some drops of milk. Once the leaves get smoothly crushed, apply the paste over affected areas. Let the mint paste work for atleast 20 minutes. Finally, rinse your face and dab lightly with a clean cloth.
Lemon
Lemon works well for hyperpigmentation i.e the condition when melanin production increases leading to dark spots on skin. Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C, which neutralizes free radicals. This allow preventing all the damage which the free radicals would otherwise cause to skin. Also, the acidic content of lemon gently removes the upper thin layer of skin. This brings out newly formed fresh skin which is healthier.
Removal of dead skin cells by citric acid, also leads to generation of new healthy cells which work better. All you need to do is dab a slice of lemon over the affected areas. Make sure to let the lemon work only for few minutes, prolonged usage may cause skin irritation. Use it for around 3-4 minutes, twice or thrice in a day. If application of lemon causes irritation, immediately wash it off. If you have sensitive skin, you can use lemon water instead of using lemon directly. Take a tablespoon of water and add two or three drops of lemon. Apply the mixture ove affected areas and let it stand for around 5 minutes. Finally, rinse your face and apply moisturizer.
Papaya
Papaya is an extremely beneficial fruit. It not only provides various health benefits but also, can be used to treat pigmentation. Papaya contains an enzyme called papain. Papain causes cell structure to break leading to removal of dead skin cells.
Mash a slice of raw green papaya and apply it ove affected areas. Let the treatment work for 10-15 minutes. Later, rinse your face with clean lukewarm water. Papaya would exfoliate your skin, removing the upper layer of dead cells. It would gradually bring out newer skin which lacks pigmentation.
Strawberries
The yummy strawberries can help you in getting rid of pigmentation. They supress the production of melanin by skin cells and help in lightening skin colour. Hence if you suffer from hyperpigmentation, you can snack upon some strawberries everyday. Now you have an excuse to eat as many of them as you want! Strawberries are a rich source of manganese, which allows your skin cells to reproduce faster.
So, if your skin feels dead, include strawberries in your daily diet. Infact if you use lemons or papaya for skin exfoliation, accompany the procedure with strawberry diets. This would enable quick replenishment of exfoliated skin. You can also use strawberries externally. Crush some of the fruit and apply over the affected areas. Let the strawberries work for 15 minutes, after which they can be washed off. But strawberries would work best when consumed, though you can follow the procedure of external application simultaneously.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar contains sulphur which works wonders for pigmentation. Also, the acidity of vinegar helps in exfoliating skin. It causes removal of upper layer of skin, bringing out clearer skin. You can use apple cider vinegar directly over the affected areas. Dip a cotton ball in the vinegar and squeeze a little. Dab the ball over affected areas and let it work for 15 minutes. Finally, rinse your face with clean water and apply moisturizer, if needed. In case you have sensitive skin, mix apple cider vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:4 instead of using it directly.
Apple cider vinegar works best if consumed. So, along with applying it over the affected areas, you can ty drinking it for best results. Just mix two teaspoons of the vinegar in half glass of warm water. Mix well and sip it all. If you find it’s taste terrible enough to be taken in mouth, try adding a little sugar or honey.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a beauty spice. It’s benefits are known from ages and are not hidden from us. You might have seen people using turmeric for acne, wrinkles, cracked heels, etc. It can also be used to cure pigmentation. Turmeric cuts down melanin production and helps in regeneration of skin. It also helps in maintaining elasticity of your skin. Go and fetch some turmeric from your kitchen. It can be well seen that it is powdered and cannot be used directly over skin.
So, we can mix it with a little lemon. Adding lemon would add the benefits of lemon as well to the remedy. Take half a teaspoon of turmeric and add some drops of lemon. Lemon here is used only to make a fine paste of turmeric, so make sue you use it as little as required. Once the paste is ready, mix it thoroughly to merge any lumps of turmeric. Apply the paste over affected areas and allow it to work for around 20 minutes. Turmeric would reduce melanin production and lemon will help in exfoliating skin. Finally, rinse your face with clean lukewarm water and dab with a dry cloth.
Caution: Please use Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.
