Skin lightening - the medical term for what is commonly called skin bleaching is depigmentation.
Two doctors at the University of British Columbia have completed a scholarly review of the treatments available.
They report that skin lightening agents (creams and gels) are commonly used to treat the condition known as hyperpigmentation. The symptoms include freckling, age spots, moles, naturally dark skin areas under the eyes and arms, and melasma, a serious disorder resulting in irregular patches of skin several shades darker than surrounding tissue. The disorder affects Caucasians as well as people of Asian, Middle Eastern and African skin tones.
The doctors cite a growing number of what are medically referred to as depigmenting agents. Over-the-counter skin lightening products act as depigmenting agents, as do prescription-strength solutions employed by skin care professionals.
The study explains the cause of hyperpigmentation, which are excessive amounts of the dark pigment melanin drawn to the skin surface.
Some skin lighteners work by impacting the pigment melanin itself. The doctors cite kojic acid, which works to decrease melanin in skin cells. They point out that for years the Japanese diet has included kojic acid for general health benefit.
The doctors consider Alpha Arbutin an alternative medicine that inhibits melanin activity.
