Hyperpigmentation can affect any skin type or tone. Melasma, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and solar lentigines are often bundled under the umbrella term of hyperpigmentation. Not all hyperpigmentation presents the same way, so the approach to treatment should not be a one-size-fits-all. To ensure result driven treatment outcomes, a multistep approach is key.

Before diving into the different causes of pigmentation, how to treat it, and what the future of hyperpigmentation treatment might look like, let’s first look at how it develops.

Kirsten Sheridan has a higher national diploma in beauty therapy from the United Kingdom and is a licensed aesthetician. She has 20 years of experience as an aesthetician and educator, holds a teaching qualification through City and Guilds London, and is a CIDESCO diplomat. Sheridan’s other qualifications include massage therapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, and electrology. She has a personal training qualification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), although not in active practice. In addition, she is the owner and founder of knowskin.com, an online learning hub for aestheticians. Sheridan taught for Dermalogica, Illinois Dermatology Institute, San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, San Jose City College, and The Dermal Sciences Institute.