No, it’s just not wrinkles on the forehead or the crow’s feet. You can have botox treatments for those. Another sign that betrays our age is hyperpigmentation. Uneven skin tone and dark spots can give away aging or, worse, make you look older than you actually are. Recent studies have shown that our skin tone affects other people’s perception of our age, even before the wrinkles start to show up. Researches also determined that skin tone alone can affect our perceived age by a range of more than five years.

So, you see, it’s never too early to start taking care of your skin, especially your melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment on our skin. For children, their melanocytes turn on and off evenly when exposed to UV rays. However, after several years of UV exposure, some of these melanocytes remain completely on, producing more and more pigments, causing dark spots. Luckily, it’s possible to get rid and prevent hyperpigmentation, thanks to a wide array of beauty products and special treatments available. (As always consult with a dermatologist before undergoing any treatment).

Intense Pulsed Laser(IPL) sessions. After four to six IPL sessions, pigmented spots crust and peel away in a day or two. This may be expensive but it’s very fast and effective. Take care to have your sessions done by a qualified dermatologist. You have to ensure you don’t get injuries from the treatment, or have your skin producing more pigments.

Bleaching. Bleaching products, such as hydroquinone, stop pigments by temporarily turning off melanocytes. But the downside is your skin becomes more sensitive to UV rays. And, the effects are only as good as long as you use the product, so you have to be all the more careful of sun protection afterwards.

Vitamin C. The ever tried-and-tested vitamin C, which brightens and revitalizes skin, is constantly being reworked and given a new twist. Vitamin C can now be bought in the form of a powder cream, which not only gives your skin the protection it needs, but also gives it a cool and silky feel.

But prevention is still better than cure. Sun protection is the ultimate skin care against hyperpigmentation.