Remedies to Those Suffering From the Effects of Blemished and Spotty Skin

Suffering the effects of blemished skin is one of those things that no matter how you try to ignore it, it just doesn't ever go away. Unfortunately many people see your blemishes before they see the real you and even if you know they appear not to, you always end up feeling self conscious. And when you feel self conscious you end up worrying more about what the other person is thinking, rather than what you are thinking or how you are feeling.

One of the paradoxes of life is that beauty often has a limited shelf life. When we're young, skin is thick and plump. It's usually free of blemishes and it radiates health and fertility.

Then it ages. Once young skin develops wrinkles, with sun damage and visible aging. Skin gets older. And notably, we develop blemishes, and scars we'd like to hide.

Skin blemishes are the result of excessive melanin levels. Melanin is the dark skin pigment, and hyper-pigmentation is when the skin cells that produce this dark pigment shift into overdrive, with the development of:

• moles
• age spots
• blotchy skin
• sun damage
• uneven complexion
• melasma
• freckles

Skin blemishes may also appear as acne scars, birth marks or other signs that skin has been damaged in some form. Though such blemishes are primarily cosmetic, sun damage may elevate risk of skin cancer.

Melanin occurs in all humans and determines skin and hair color and even the shade of one's eyes. Levels of melanin fluctuate among ethnic groups; African-Americans and those of Asian descent have higher levels of melanin than caucasians.

Melanin is produced in the deepest layer of the epidermis – the skin's outermost layer – by the melanocyte skin cells. And hyperpigmentation occurs when the tyrosinase enzyme triggers the melanocyte cells to produce excessive melanin in localized areas.

While birth marks are produced at birth, hyperpigmentation, and the skin blemishes that develop as a result, can be triggered by factors including:

• pregnancy
• birth control pills
• hormone replacement therapy
• sun exposure
• acne
• surgery

Skin blemishes tend to form in concentrated patches, as a result of these factors, and can make once smooth complexion look uneven and blotchy.

It's like a blemished view of the world and it does affect how you act. So really there comes a point where severe acne is no longer conducive to a happy or healthy life and you need to do something about it. But where do you start?

In many cases, it's possible to reduce the chance that dark spots and related issues with complexion will form. Sun exposure, for example, is a common reason why women (and men) develop age spots and blotchy patches that, left unchecked, can often morph into melanoma and forms of skin cancer. Wearing sun screen, with an SPF of at least 30, can reduce such damage.

Perhaps the most popular treatment for dark spots and for brighter complexion, many women make a skin brightening product part of their daily skin ritual. However, conventional skin brighteners present health risks that warrant a closer inspection.

Doing your homework is always the best place to begin. You really want to find a product that has a few key components and a few key effects. Finding a product that is made from natural ingredients is really important.