All About Hyperpigmentation & How To Treat It

The ultimate guide you didn't know you needed

By Saurav Bhanot | LAST UPDATED: APR 6, 2026

If you were to ask most people around you, the one common skincare issue they’d all have it most definitely would be hyperpigmentation. Sure, they’d be on the lookout for anti-ageing products, want something loaded with hyaluronic acid or in general be on the lookout for anything that lifts & tucks their cheeks but it’s battling unwanted pigmentation on their faces that’ll get them all united.

But how do you tackle this hyperpigmentation? Let’s get to it.

What is Hyperpigmentation?

Here’s the definition: Our bodies product melanin which is what gives our skin the colour it actually is. Hyperpigmentation is when specific parts of your skin become darker than the other thanks to excessive melanin production. As brown people, for instance, we naturally have higher melanin production than, say, Caucasian people.

What Causes Hyperpigmentation?

The reasons for hyperpigmentation are usually one of these:

Too much exposure to sun’s harmful UV rays
Scars left behind from acne that turns darker with time
Hormonal changes (specifically for women)
Skin injuries that leave marks that turn dark over time

Not all hyperpigmentation can be dealt with, sure, but most of it can be fixed with the right lifestyle changes & products, of course.

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How to Treat Hyperpigmentation?

First & foremost, avoid getting new dark spots. Ensure you’re using sunscreen on a regular basis & avoid unnecessary sun exposure at all times.
Additionally, don’t pick on your acne & breakouts – those marks will only lead to more pigmentation in the future.
Lastly, build on a good, anti-pigmentation skincare routine that targets your dark spots, nourishes your skin and improves its texture.

Anti-Pigmentation Skincare

If your hyperpigmentation spots aren’t fading away over time (it happens in some cases, yes), here’s what you should be doing. What you need are basically brightening ingredients, exfoliants and retinoids for cell turnover. All of these have different purposes in your regime.

Brightening

These are meant to brighten dark spots, to give you a clearer, more even complexion. Vitamin C, niacinamide and Alpha Arbutin are all wonderful brightening ingredients so ensure you’re using a serum with enough of these.

Exfoliation

Since those dark spots carry a host of impurities in them, you’ll need good skin exfoliants to clear them out. Products with enough & more AHAs (such as glycolic acid) and BHAs (such as salicylic acid) will do the needful.

Cell Turnover

Next up, promoting healthy cell turnover so that newer, brighter cells replace them, while also helping with anti-ageing. And nothing promotes both these things like Retinol so make sure it’s part of your night time skincare routine.