Dark spots.
Few skin concerns cause as much frustration — or as much confusion. You diligently layer serums and sunscreens, yet those stubborn patches of discolouration barely seem to budge. One reason your routine might not be working? You could be treating the wrong type of hyperpigmentation.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) and melasma are the two most common forms of dark spots, and while they can look deceptively similar on the surface, their causes, behaviour, and ideal treatment strategies are quite different. Understanding which one you're dealing with is the first — and most important — step toward clearer, more even-toned skin.
What Is Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)?
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is exactly what it sounds like: darkening of the skin that follows inflammation or injury. Think of it as a souvenir your skin leaves behind after acne breakouts, eczema flares, burns, aggressive extractions, or even overly harsh skincare treatments.
When the skin is injured, it triggers an overproduction of melanin as part of the healing response. The result is flat, discoloured marks that range from pink and red (in lighter skin tones) to deep brown or almost black (in deeper skin tones). PIH is especially common in melanin-rich skin because there are more active melanocytes ready to respond to that inflammatory trigger.
Key characteristics of PIH:
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Site-specific: Appears at the exact site of previous inflammation or trauma.
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Texture: Flat, not raised (unlike a scar).
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Colour: Ranges from pink to dark brown depending on skin tone.
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Duration: Tends to fade on its own over time — but "time" can mean months to years without treatment.
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Sun sensitivity: Often worsened by sun exposure, which locks the pigment deeper into the skin.
What Is Melasma?
Melasma is a different beast entirely. Rather than being triggered by a specific wound or breakout, melasma is a chronic pigmentation disorder driven primarily by hormonal fluctuations and UV exposure. It's sometimes called the "mask of pregnancy" because it frequently appears during pregnancy, though it also affects people taking hormonal contraceptives and those going through perimenopause or menopause.
Melasma presents as larger, symmetrical patches of brown or greyish-brown discolouration — most commonly across the cheeks, forehead, upper lip, chin, and bridge of the nose. Unlike PIH, melasma isn't tied to a single event. It tends to be persistent, recurrent, and significantly more challenging to treat.
Key characteristics of melasma:
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Pattern: Symmetrical, blotchy patches rather than isolated spots.
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Location: Commonly appears on the central face.
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Triggers: Driven by hormones, UV light, heat, and sometimes visible light.
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Depth: Can have an epidermal component (surface-level, brownish) or a dermal component (deeper, greyish-blue) — or both.
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Seasonality: Tends to recur, especially in summer or with hormonal changes.
How to Tell Them Apart
The simplest way to differentiate the two? History and pattern.
If your dark spots map perfectly onto places where you recently had a spot, a rash, or an injury — that's PIH. If you're seeing a wider, more diffuse wash of colour across both cheeks or your forehead with no clear connection to a breakout — melasma is the more likely culprit.
A dermatologist can confirm the diagnosis with a Wood's lamp examination, which reveals whether the pigment sits in the epidermis, the dermis, or both. This distinction matters because it directly influences how well the pigmentation will respond to topical treatments.
Treating PIH: Accelerating What Your Skin Already Wants to Do
The good news about PIH is that it will eventually fade. The goal of treatment is to speed up that timeline from "possibly years" to "a few months." The strategy centres on three pillars: exfoliation, brightening, and sun protection.
1. Exfoliate to Accelerate Cell Turnover
Removing pigment-loaded surface cells is one of the fastest ways to visibly improve PIH. Chemical exfoliants — particularly alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic acid — dissolve the bonds between dead skin cells, encouraging fresher, more evenly pigmented skin to come forward.
The REFORM Skincare Glycolic Acid Foaming Cleanser is an excellent daily-use option here. By incorporating gentle exfoliation into your cleansing step, you're consistently promoting cell turnover without adding extra products or steps to your routine. For deeper resurfacing, the Repair & Renew Gel acts as a radiance-boosting treatment that can be layered into your routine to enhance exfoliation further.
2. Brighten with Vitamin C
L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is one of the most well-researched ingredients for fading hyperpigmentation. It works by inhibiting tyrosinase — the enzyme responsible for melanin production — while simultaneously providing antioxidant protection against future damage.
The REFORM Skincare Vitamin C 20% Serum uses a potent 20% concentration of L-ascorbic acid specifically formulated to brighten the complexion, fade discolouration, and address uneven skin tone. For PIH sufferers, this is a morning staple.
3. Promote Repair with Retinol
Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids) accelerate epidermal turnover and help disperse melanin more evenly. The REFORM Skincare Retinol 1% Crème uses retinyl palmitate — a gentler, skin-friendly form of vitamin A — to improve texture and diminish dark spots with consistent nightly use. Because it's formulated with soothing ingredients like chamomile, cucumber, and aloe vera, it's less likely to trigger the very inflammation that causes PIH in the first place.
4. Protect — Relentlessly
Unprotected sun exposure is the single biggest reason PIH lingers. UV radiation stimulates melanocytes, darkening existing spots and undoing the work of every brightening product in your routine. A broad-spectrum SPF 50 is non-negotiable.
REFORM Skincare offers several options here: the SPF 50+ Tinted Sunscreen provides both UV protection and a skin-evening tint that immediately camouflages dark spots, while the SPF 50+ Antioxidant Sunscreen delivers high-factor protection paired with antioxidant defence. For easy reapplication throughout the day, the SPF 50 Invisible Mist Spray makes midday top-ups effortless — even over make-up.
Treating Melasma: A Gentler, More Strategic Approach
Melasma requires more patience and a different mindset. Because it's hormonally driven and tends to recur, the goal shifts from "cure" to long-term management. Aggressive treatments can actually backfire with melasma, triggering rebound pigmentation — so a gentler, more consistent approach wins.
1. Antioxidant Protection Is Critical
Because melasma responds to UV light, visible light, and even heat, antioxidant serums are essential — not optional. The REFORM Skincare HYAL • Vitamin C + E Serum is particularly well-suited for melasma-prone skin. Its combination of 15% L-ascorbic acid, 1% vitamin E, and 0.5% ferulic acid creates a synergistic antioxidant complex that offers superior protection against the environmental stressors that trigger melasma flares. The added hyaluronic acid and panthenol (vitamin B5) support the skin barrier — critical when you're using active ingredients long-term.
2. Retinol — Low and Slow
Retinoids help with melasma by promoting epidermal turnover and improving the penetration of other active ingredients. However, melasma-prone skin is often more reactive, which is why a gentler retinoid like the retinyl palmitate in REFORM's Retinol 1% Crème is a smarter choice than jumping straight to prescription-strength tretinoin. The ceramides and glycerin in the formula protect the barrier while the retinoid does its work.
3. Sun Protection — Your Most Important Product
If there's one condition where sunscreen can make or break your results, it's melasma. Even brief, incidental UV exposure can trigger a flare. Tinted sunscreens have an additional advantage here: the iron oxides in tinted formulas protect against visible light, which standard sunscreens don't fully block — and visible light is a known melasma trigger. REFORM's SPF 50+ Tinted Sunscreen delivers on both fronts.
4. Consider the Pigmentation Protocol
For those who want a comprehensive, guided approach, the REFORM Skincare Pigmentation Protocolbundles targeted products into a complete routine designed specifically for pigmentation concerns — taking the guesswork out of building a regimen from scratch.
The Bottom Line
PIH and melasma may both show up as dark spots, but treating them the same way is one of the most common skincare mistakes people make. PIH responds well to proactive exfoliation and brightening, while melasma demands a more protective, barrier-conscious, long-game strategy.
What both conditions share is a deep dependence on consistent sun protection and evidence-based active ingredients — vitamin C, retinol, and chemical exfoliants — applied thoughtfully and patiently.
The right routine, built around the right products, makes all the difference. And when those products are formulated by medical professionals with clinically effective concentrations — as REFORM Skincare's range is — you're giving your skin the best possible chance at a clearer, more even complexion.
