Whether you’re dark, fair, wheatish or dusky, all of us are equally beautiful. We are born with skin tones that match our ancestors and we have little control over it. No matter what colour you wear, it’s the uneven skin tone that makes it look flawed!

What’s covered in this article:
✔ What is uneven skin tone?
✔ What are the causes of uneven skin tone?
✔ How to get even skin tone: Medical treatments?
✔ How to prevent uneven skin tone?

What is uneven skin tone?

Uneven skin tone is nothing but hyperpigmentation, an irregular darkening of the skin. It is usually caused by the overproduction of a pigment called melanin which is responsible for skin and hair colour. This results in dark patches and spots on the skin and is considered as uneven skin tone.

What are the causes of uneven skin tone?

Some common causes of uneven skin are: 

• Sun exposure:- 

✔ When your skin is exposed to UV light, sun damage occurs. 

✔ Brown spots and uneven skin tone develop due to the overproduction of melanin which is produced to help protect your skin from UV light.

• Age:-

✔ With the increase in age, small spots known as age spots/ liver spots can be seen on the sun-exposed areas of the body. This is caused due to constant sun exposure and increase in age.

• Medications:- 

✔ Some medicines can harm your skin, can cause pigmentation/dark spots and skin allergies that can lead to uneven skin tone.

• Hormones:-

✔ An imbalance in your hormones can affect your skin. 

✔ Uneven skin tone is caused mainly by two hormones present in our body – ‘estrogen’ and ‘progesterone’ which play a crucial role in regulating the body’s synthesis of melanin. 

• Inflammation:-

✔ When you have inflammation or irritation of the top layers of skin, either due to acne or other injuries, pigmentation can develop which is also known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation(PIH).

How to get even skin tone: Medical treatments

Here are commonly prescribed treatments by Dermatologists that can help you get even skin tone: 

• Use of Skin Lightening Cream:- 

Dermatologists may suggest lightening creams or gels to be applied on the affected area. They are effective against patches of discolouration on most skin types.

Limitations:- 

1. Slow results.
2. Can make skin greasy
3. Some creams don’t moisturize the skin

• Chemical peel:-

Chemical peels are used to reduce age spots, sun damage, melasma, and blotchy skin.

Limitations:- 

1. May lead to scars, especially in darker skin types.

• Lasers:-

Light beams are used to remove unevenness in the skin. 

Limitations:- 

1. May cause acne 
2. May darken your skin.

• Intense pulse light therapy (IPL)

This is a type of laser treatment where laser beams are used to make the unevenness on the skin go.

Limitations:-

1. Bruising
2. Blistering
3. Change in skin colour
4. Infection

• Microdermabrasion:-

This treatment uses a drill-like handheld machine for making your skin even.

Limitations:- 

1. Skin tightness,
2. Redness,
3. Minor bruising,
4. Skin sensitivity
5. Small skin abrasions,
6. Spots of bleeding,
7. Eye-skin bruising

• Dermabrasion

This method is similar to microdermabrasion but at a faster rate. 

Limitations:- 

1. Changes in skin tone
2. Temporarily enlarged pores

How to prevent uneven skin tone?

There are a number of lifestyle changes you can follow to improve the appearance of your skin.

• Stay hydrated:- 

✔ Keeping your skin and your body hydrated will do wonders for your skin.
✔ Drink at least 3-5 litres of water and eat citrus fruits for a healthy skin which restores your even tone.

•  Applying moisturizer:- 

✔ Moisturize all of your skin, and not just your face.
✔ It helps soothe skin, resolving dryness and redness.

• Use sunscreen:- 

✔ Use sunscreen regularly to prevent redness, tan, sunburns and formation of age spots caused due to sun damage. This leads to uneven skin tone.

✔ You can use sunscreen consisting of SPF 30 and above. Make sure to reapply your sunscreen every 2-3 hours especially when outdoors.

• Avoid certain foods and drinks:- 

1. 1. Alcohol
      It causes the blood vessels to dilate and lead to a flushed face.
   2. Spicy foods
      It can increase the redness of your skin.
   3. Foods high in refined sugars
      It may lead to breakouts/ acne flares or premature skin ageing.
   4. Dairy Products
      Excess intake can cause skin irritation and acne flare-ups in some individuals.
   5. Processed foods containing oils and fats
      It can lead to unhealthy skin and uneven skin tone.

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