In order to address hyperpigmentation, it is important to understand pigment in the skin. Tyrosine, an amino acid found in the body, plays its role in the skin by helping to produce melanin. Melanin is predetermined by the genes and can range from dark to light, depending on the type and amount that is produced in the melanocytes. With trauma caused from external or internal stresses, such as UV rays and hormonal imbalances, the body naturally creates a protective defense by producing additional pigment that appears as uneven dark areas, known as hyperpigmentation or melasma. This hyperpigmentation is stimulated when an enzyme called tyrosinase signals the production of melanin, which happens in the skin’s melanocytes. Because there are typically between 1,000–2,000 melanocytes per square millimeter of skin, and comprising from 5–10% of the cells in the basal layer of the epidermis, you can understand how challenging it is to deal with this skin condition. When working with pigmentation—regardless of it being caused by external or internal trauma—the skin care professional’s goal is always the same: to inhibit tyrosinase.
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A simple way to understand how pigmentation works is to think about how bananas change color from yellow to brown. If the tyrosine in a banana is responsible for the yellow color of the peel, tyrosinase is responsible for causing that peel to oxidize and turn brown. In turn, if tyrosine is responsible for skin pigmentation, tyrosinase is responsible for hyperpigmentation.
- See more at: http://www.skininc.com/skinscience/ingredients/Lighten-UpThe-Natural-Way-261314861.html?utm_source=newsletter-html&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SI+E-Newsletter+01-05-2017&absrc=rdm#sthash.0AXIM6F0.dpuf
