In Asia, there is an age-old perception that smooth, fair skin enhances the beauty and youthfulness of the face and body. Such skin is prized by many women and desired by many men. This belief prevails throughout modern Asia. There is a good scientific and social basis for this as skin that is blotchy, pigmented, dry and leathery is more associated with the sun-damaged skin of an older person whilst skin that is fair, smooth, taut and supple is more characteristic of a young person.
We are all born with perfect hydrated, unblemished skin, but as we age our faces and bodies become exposed to sunlight, pollution, and other forms of oxidative stress. The skin gradually becomes darker or pigmented, less hydrated, loses elasticity and tone and does not adhere to the underlying soft tissues as readily giving rise to unwanted lines and sagging. It begins to look old.
As the face ages, the subcutaneous fat, muscles, deep fat pads and even the facial skeleton itself, start to atrophy or shrink. This causes deflation of facial volume which in turn gives rise to visible ageing. In the past, we did not pay much attention to the quality of the skin as a contributing factor to ageing but in recent years, researchers have discovered that the loss of intracellular fluid from the skin due to photodamage and oxidative stress is a significant source of facial volume depletion.
Invisible UVA and UVB were always thought of as the culprits of skin damage and pigmentation, but we now have to add to them the intense damage caused by the blue part of the visible light spectrum. In fact, we now realise that Blue Light creates more damage to the skin and at a deeper level than UVA or UVB. Blue light is also emitted from fluorescent lights and the screens of mobile devices and laptops, so it is around us everywhere, even at night. It makes sense to try to minimise this cellular damage and a good place to start is with a sun cream that can offer protection from UVA, UVB and Blue Light.
Traditional methods of lightening skin and removing undesirable pigmentation have included the use of lasers, Intense Pulsed Light IPL, acidic chemical peels and skin lightening creams and serums but a recent paradigm shift in how we treat pigmented skin is due to the discovery that there are specific oral medicines and supplements that can reduce the effects of facial pigmentation and create a fairer skin. Please consult with your aesthetic physician, dermatologist, or plastic surgeon to learn about new ways of achieving fairer skin.
