Please share your experience and/or success with methods to treat/reduce hypopigmentation.

Needling/micropigmentation/tanning...please share anything that might have worked!

Also, I cannot find anyone that does needling around where I live (connecticut)....do you think acupuncture would provide a similar solution?

HI,

When a wound occurs, if the surrounding tissue is not re-approximated properly, the gap in the wound is filled in with collagen which turns into scar tissue. In acne, scarring starts at the wall of the incident and is somewhat filled in as it heals.

Now we know that wounds heal and become re-epitheilized (thin tissue) and in a lot of cases say white (hypopigmentated). Heres the reason. Skin cells (kerotinocytes) migrate towards the direction of the wound, but pigment cells (melanocytes) migrate in all directions and at a slower rate. Unfortunately, melanocytes are neural crest cells which dont divide or reproduce so you can only somewhat re-disperse pigment cells. Needling can help re-disperse some of the pigment on smaller scars but, on larger scars, this method of re-pigmentation doesnt seem to be effective. This is primarily because there is minimal pigment in the re-epitheilization cycle from openings like follicles and other gland openings in the skin

Heres some medical documentation:

Re-epithelization occurs with the migration of cells from the periphery of the wound and adnexal structures. This process commences with the spreading of cells within 24 hours. Division of peripheral cells occurs in hours 48-72, resulting in a thin epithelial cell layer, which bridges the wound. Epidermal growth factors are believed to play a key role in this aspect of wound healing.

Melanocytes, derived from neural crest cells, primarily function to produce a pigment, melanin, which absorbs radiant energy from the sun and protects the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. Melanin accumulates in organelles termed melanosomes that are incorporated into dendrites anchoring the melanosome to the surrounding keratinocytes. Ultimately, the melanosomes are transferred to the adjacent keratinocytes where they remain as granules.

Skin color is determined largely by the presence of blood vessels in the dermis and the brownish pigment, melanin, which occurs as granules in the basal layers of the stratum spinosum. In areas exposed to the sun, the ratio of melanocytes to keratinocytes is approximately 1:4. In areas not exposed to solar radiation, the ratio may be as small as 1:30. Since these cells are of neural crest origin, they have no ability to reproduce

Author: Don R Revis, Jr, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine

In contrast to keratinocytes, melanocytes do not respond with directional migration. They move about one third as fast as the keratinocytes, and move randomly, not directionally. In contrast to keratinocytes, melanocytes do not respond with directional migration. They move about one third as fast as the keratinocytes, and move randomly, not directionally.

Roslyn Rivkah Isseroff, M.D. Scientific and Consulting Medical Staffs

Northern California SHC

I hear a lot of claims from those who do MCA (Multitripannic Collagen Actuation) where they can activate, promote, enhance and develop pigment in wounds or hypopigmentated areas. We have seen some improvement in our clients but not to extent of what MCA techs are claiming.

Forget about acupuncture. Doesnt penetrate enough times to make a difference. In a 3mm area you need a few hundred penetrations to be effective.

All this documentation is available on the internet.

Hope this helped you out.

Best Wishes

Frank

Hi there,

I have tons of small white dots on my chest from years of acne (and sun damage -- I don't think the acne would have caused the hypopigmentation had I not already damaged it with the sun). I'm Scandinavian, so very pale, but it's still really noticeable. So I went for needling a few years back -- it was TORTURE. The chest area is very sensitive. But I braved through it (took 2 hours because of ALL the small dots). The result? Nothing. Perhaps had I continued it might have worked eventually, but I wasn't about to go through that again given how painful it was, and the fact that I saw seriously NO change.

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. I'm going to try the Excimer Laswer next. I hear that has worked for a lot of hypopigmentation cases. We'll see.