"Somehow my skin looks dark..." "I want to aim for whitening", so many people are working hard on daily skin care and UV protection.
However, there is a limit to what you can do on your own, and as you age, your skin may become dull or dry, and you may lose sight of whitening.
In this article, we will introduce the reasons why your skin looks dark, what you need to do to make your skin white, and the oral medicines you can get from a dermatologist that are effective for whitening.
If you want to have a dermatologist prescribe an internal medicine, or if you are aiming for whitening, please refer to it.
Causes of dark skin
Light skin looks healthy and youthful, but dark skin can make you look unhealthy and even older. What makes your skin look darker?
First, let's talk about why your skin looks black.
Age spots and freckles
Dark spots are spots caused by the deposition of melanin pigment, and range from light brown to dark brown. The color and shape varies depending on the type, such as senile pigment spots caused by long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays, post-inflammatory pigmentation caused by inflammation such as acne, and chloasma caused by hormonal disturbances.
Also, freckles are small, pale brown spots on the cheeks and nose. It is said that freckles are often caused by heredity, but UV rays may also be the cause.
Spots and freckles appear on the face, making it look darker overall and giving the impression of aging. Especially after the age of 40, turnover tends to be delayed, and it takes time to improve spots and freckles, so it is important to start treatment early.
Keratin thickening
When turnover is disturbed due to aging, fatigue, lack of sleep, etc., and old keratin accumulates on the surface of the skin, the skin becomes thicker, resulting in a condition called "keratin thickening."
When the stratum corneum thickens, the transparency of the skin is lost and dullness occurs. If it gets worse, the condition of the skin will become visibly worse, so if you are concerned about thickening of the horny layer, you should consult a dermatologist as soon as possible to solve it.
Skin with thickened keratin loses its barrier function due to disordered turnover. In that case, there are disadvantages such as being vulnerable to external stimuli such as ultraviolet rays and friction.
In addition, the disorder of the eating habits causes the keratin hypertrophy. In particular, vitamin A and vitamin B are nutrients related to the metabolism of the body. Lack of it will hinder the growth of new skin cells and normal turnover, so it is better to be conscious and ingest it.
Drying
When the skin is moist, the texture is fine and the surface of the skin reflects light evenly, making it look translucent and beautiful. However, dry skin creates shadows due to uneven texture, giving an overall dark impression.
Dry skin not only reduces texture, but also causes skin inflammation and disturbs turnover.
Damage from UV rays and dry air also cause a decrease in the original moisture retention capacity, making it easier to dry. If you are in an air-conditioned room for a long time, or if you go out in winter, it is especially easy to dry out, so be careful.
Improper skin care methods, such as scrubbing the face or using skin care items with strong detergency, will also reduce the skin barrier function and lead to dryness.
Poor blood circulation
Even if you think you have no health problems, have you ever been worried about people around you because your skin looks darker and your complexion looks worse? It may be due to dullness due to poor blood circulation.
Poor blood circulation reduces the amount of blood flowing through the skin's blood vessels, which reduces the healthy redness that should be present on the face. In addition, dark circles under the eyes are likely to occur, which can make the face look exhausted.
Poor blood circulation is caused by insomnia, irregular lifestyle, smoking and excessive diet. Especially when stress accumulates, the sympathetic nerve is stimulated and becomes dominant over the parasympathetic nerve.
When the sympathetic nerve becomes dominant, the blood vessels constrict and the blood flow in the capillaries decreases. As a result, blood flow reduces redness and other factors, such as dark or yellowish skin, become more noticeable.
What you need to get white and beautiful skin
I understand why your skin turns dark, but there are three things you need to do to get closer to white skin. It is to normalize turnover, generate collagen, and keep the moisture content of the skin.
Normalization of turnover
The mechanism by which skin cells are replaced at a constant cycle is called turnover, and among the four layers of the epidermis, the cells divide in the innermost layer to generate new cells, changing the shape of the keratin. It reaches to and the epidermis is reborn.
It is said that the turnover of healthy skin occurs in about 4 weeks, but if the turnover is disturbed, the connection between cells weakens, weakening the barrier function of the skin and making it sensitive to external stimuli. This makes it easier for skin problems to occur.
By normalizing turnover, old keratin is reborn not only in the epidermis but also in an appropriate cycle, so dullness can be improved.
To normalize the turnover, it is also recommended to undergo treatments such as chemical peeling.
Production of collagen
Collagen is a protein that constitutes various organs in the human body, and approximately 30% of the protein in the body is said to be collagen.
It is the main component of the dermis, which lies beneath the epidermis, and plays a role in maintaining firmness and elasticity. If there is a lack of collagen, which is said to constitute 70% of the dermis, it will lose its firmness and elasticity, causing various skin problems.
However, this collagen is said to be at its peak when babies are young, and then rapidly decrease from their 30s, so it is necessary to encourage the ability to generate collagen.
Keep skin hydrated
Healthy skin is said to contain 20-30% moisture. If it falls below this value, it will cause skin problems such as dryness, uneven texture, and fine wrinkles.
Leaving skin problems unattended can cause dullness and spots to appear, making the skin look darker, so it is important to keep the skin hydrated.
As with collagen, the amount of moisture in the skin gradually decreases with age, and it is said that by the age of 40, the amount will be half that of a baby.
Oral medicine recommended for those aiming for whitening
For those who want to have white skin, we recommend going to a dermatologist and getting an internal medicine.
There are internal medicines and topical medicines available at the dermatologist. Topical medicines reach melanocytes through the barrier function of the skin, but oral medicines deliver their active ingredients steadily to spots, etc., through the bloodstream, exerting their effects deep into the epidermis. It's a feature.
The following is a summary of the effects of four types of oral medicines that can be expected to be effective against dark spots and whitening.
Juvera
・Promote turnover
・Improve blood flow
Juvela is an oral drug whose main ingredient is vitamin E (tocopherol acetate), and is expected to promote turnover and improve blood flow.
By improving the blood flow, it works to collect and flush waste products at the same time as sending nutrients throughout the body. The anti-oxidant action protects the skin from external damage, making it resistant to blemishes.
Since it can be expected to have the effect of supporting the function of vitamin C, it is sometimes prescribed together.
Cinal
・Suppression of melanin production
・Promote collagen production
Cinal is an oral medicine that contains vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin B5 (calcium pantothenate), and calcium pantothenate has the effect of helping ascorbic acid.
Vitamin C suppresses the production of melanin and prevents spots and freckles from forming.
Vitamin C cannot be produced by the body and cannot be stored in excess. Even if you take it in food, it may be insufficient, so it is necessary to supplement it with oral medicine.
It also has the effect of promoting the production of collagen, so it is an essential ingredient for whitening, such as being included in most whitening cosmetics. It is known to be a safe drug that can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Tranexamic acid
・Anti-inflammatory action
・Suppression of melanin production
Tranexamic acid, also known as transamine, is an oral medication that is an artificially synthesized amino acid. Because it has excellent anti-inflammatory action, it is effective in improving acne scars as well as calming inflammation inside the skin that causes spots.
It has the effect of blocking the function of cells that activate the production of melanin called plasmin, and it is characterized by its effect on melasma, which is considered difficult to treat.
By taking an appropriate amount over a long period of time, spots, melasma, and dullness will slowly improve.
HYTHIOL
・Suppression of melanin production
・Promote turnover
Hythiol (L-cysteine) is sold at drugstores, so it is familiar to many people among internal medicines that are effective for whitening. It is a type of amino acid that naturally exists in the body, and constitutes the protein that forms the basis of nails, skin, and hair.
Hythiol, which is prescribed by dermatologists, is characterized by having more active ingredients than commercially available products. A higher effect can be expected, and it is effective for various skin problems such as spots, acne, eczema, and hives.
By ingesting it at the same time as vitamin C, it has the effect of suppressing excessive melanin production and promoting turnover.
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