Final year week is fast approaching, and everyone is
excited about the activities. And who would blame them? This week is all about
different days and exciting dress-ups like; the corporate day where you wear
your best formal attire, a back-to-school day where you dress up as a secondary
school student, old school day to dress up with popular outfits from the 80s,
or that have stopped trending for over a decade, denim day for all attires
denim and finally the cultural day to showcase the beautiful attires of
different tribes. Everyone is giddy and anxious. 

Preparations for the most anticipated
week of the year for both finalists(the participants) and other years( who
enjoy the view and display that take place) are in full swing. You can see the
atmosphere is busy in the school hostels with people collecting and trying out
their various outfits, laughter and hailing from different rooms can be heard
as the finalists in such rooms try out their attires for the different days.
You can also hear banter and arguments too as some student tailors disappointed
their customers leaving them stranded. Amina belonged to the former, the only
finalist in room E16, she had all her attires ready for the week and had just
finished trying them out by doing a mini fashion show for her roommates and
neighbors who came to watch due to the screams and cheers. It was all over now
and she laid on her bed thinking about whether to apply makeup on all days or
just for corporate day and cultural day. She stood up in front of the full-length
mirror they had in the room and looked at herself. A fair lady by all means she
felt a bit slighted when she saw how her face had become noticeably darker due
to exam stress and long periods queuing under the hot sun for Cbt exams. 

As a
sure girl taking care of her skin, she smirked and walked towards her wardrobe
with only one thought: "How do I tackle this hyperpigmentation before
final year week?"

Hyperpigmentation and the Types of hyperpigmentation 

Hyperpigmentation is a condition of the skin whereby
some parts look darker than your natural skin tone due to melanin overproduction.
The dark scars left behind after an injury, insect bite, or acne, dark patches
that appear on certain parts of a pregnant woman, or uneven skin tone whereby
the face or hands are darker than other parts of the body are all that is
called hyperpigmentation. The types of hyperpigmentation include;

Melasma; is the type of
hyperpigmentation that usually occurs on the forehead, chin, nose bridge above
the upper lip, and stomach. It affects mostly women and not men.

Age spots; are also called liver
spots or solar lentigines. They appear on the face and arms that are exposed to
the sun and can vary in size.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation;
is a common acquired skin disorder that can occur on any part of the body and
is more pronounced and common in people with darker skin.

All types of hyperpigmentation can be worsened by sun
exposure.

The major cause of hyperpigmentation is the overproduction
of melanin, which can happen for several reasons which include;

&nbsp;According to the mayor clinic, extra melanin
production is the skin's defense mechanism against the sun's UV rays. Excessive
exposure to UV rays can make the skin darken and cause what is called sun spots
or sunburn.

when the skin undergoes any trauma
from conditions like acne, eczema, or injury from bug bites, cuts, scrapes,
burns, or even friction from vigorous rubbing, it can cause inflammation which
sets off pigment-producing cells.

Melasma is a condition often called the
‘mask of pregnancy’ because it is characterized by brown patches on women with
fluctuating hormone levels such as during pregnancy, when taking birth control
pills, or going through menopause.

There are certain medical conditions
like Addison's disease - an adrenal gland disorder that occurs when the body
does not make enough of the hormone called cortisol that can increase melanin
production. Consumption of certain drugs like antimalaria, antibiotics,
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs), etc. can also increase the risk
of hyperpigmentation.

As someone with a passion for flawless skin and privy
to the advancement of technology, Amina had of course done the necessary
research on the various treatments for any challenges her skin goes through and
has imbibed the habit of using only the safest products so as not to damage her
skin.&nbsp; There are several safe and
effective options she came across for treating hyperpigmentation and she
eventually chose one she felt was best for her skin. The first treatment she
came across was cosmetic procedures such as laser therapies, intense pulsed
light, and chemical peels. Now she had no particular issue with this treatment
except for the fact that it required the expertise of a professional third
party and payment she couldn’t afford at that time. The next was topical
treatments using creams and oils that contain safe ingredients that can lighten
the skin. Ingredients such as azelaic and glycolic acids, vitamin C, retinoids,
licorice extracts, etc. are known for their ability to naturally brighten the
skin without causing damage. Armed with this information she was sure that
using her Kanda oil which is antioxidant in nature and contains rosehip
extracts and vitamin E is just what is required for the gentle care and
treatment her skin needs. The oil has numerous benefits for the skin such as;
protecting skin from free radicals, brightening dull skin, locking in moisture,
evens out the complexion, minimizing fine lines, and soothing inflammation. To
find out more about the Kanda Naturals facial oil visit 

With knowledge comes responsibility, now that you know
how to tackle hyperpigmentation it is imperative to take certain measures to
avoid its reoccurrence and severity.

# Avoids poking and meddling with blackheads,
injuries, and bug bites because that worsens the inflammation.

# Always use a good moisturizer as well-moisturized
skin has the best cell turnover.

# &nbsp;Protect your
skin from the sun by wearing sunscreen, and hats and generally avoid being
under the sun for too long.

Your skin goals are not beyond reach, I am intentional
about bringing you all the relevant tips you need to achieve those goals.

Find out what to do if you are tired of always using a shade 2 times lighter than the color of your face when applying makeup just to blend and mask that uneven skin tone or using layers of concealer to mask the scars. An eye opener on hyperpigmentation, the various types, causes, and treatment.

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