Whitening Series 美白系列

Melanin
The colour of the skin is determined by the melanin or pigment in the skin. Melanin is responsible for giving colour to your skin, hair and the iris in the eye. The level of melanin depends on race and levels of sun exposure. Melanin production increases with exposure to the sun, so it is vital to protect the skin from harmful UV rays.

黑色素
我们的肤色取决于皮肤表层底下的黑色素或色素的影响。黑色素负责为我们的皮肤，毛发以及眼球里的虹膜提供色素。个人色素的深浅指数取决于其种族基因和阳光暴晒程度。当暴晒于阳光底下的时间越长，黑色素水平会随之增加，以保护皮肤免受有害紫外线的损伤。

Skin pigmentation occurs as the body produces either too much or too little melanin. This can cause dark or light patches or uneven skin tone. Pigmentation affects millions of people everyday and can cause emotional distress and embarrassment to those suffering from it.

皮肤色素沉着的因素是由于身体所产生或多或少的黑色素。这可能会导致深沉或浅白或不均匀的肤色。皮肤色素沉着的问题可导致数百万人每日饱受为之情绪困扰和面对尴尬的痛苦。

There a many causes for pigmentation or uneven skin colour. The first step to minimising skin pigmentation is protection from the sun. Pigmentation can also be caused by hormonal changes and in women, pregnancy, birth control pills and menopause can also affect skin pigmentation.

导致色素沉着或不均匀肤色的因素不少。第一个要减少皮肤色素沉着的步骤就是防晒。荷尔蒙变化也可造成色素沉着；至于女性方面，处于怀孕、服用避孕丸与更年期期间情况尤甚。

The three most common types of pigmentation are:
三种最常见的色素沉着:

Melasma
This is a hyperpigmentary disorder of the skin
characterised by dark spots, blotches on the face, neck
or forhead.

Melasma is normally triggered by both sun exposure and hormonal changes during preganancy.

黄褐斑
这是脸部，颈部和额头上色素过度失调所引起的黑点和斑点。

黄褐斑是由于怀孕期间荷尔蒙变化以及长时间曝晒于阳光底下所引发的。

Solar Lentigo
This type of pigmentation is often called sun or age spots, these are _at brown spots that look like large brown freckles and often appear on the sun exposed areas of the skin like the face, or back of hands.

Solar Lentigo is triggered by sun exposure and is very
common in fair skinned people of the age of 60 years.

日晒斑
这类型的色素沉着也称为日斑或老年斑。这些平滑褐色斑看似与大片褐色生雀斑极为相像，往往出现于暴晒部分的皮肤如脸部或手背。

日晒斑较长引发于阳光曝晒以及年龄超过60岁的白皙皮肤尤为常见。

Vitiligo
This is a hypopigmentation disorder where the body
does not produce enough melanin and creates smooth
white spots on the skin.

白癜风
这是当身体无法生产足够的黑色素而造成皮肤表层出现平滑白斑的色素过度失调现象。

More commonly found in darker skinned people, it is
unknown what causes vitilago, some believe it is caused
by severe sunburn or is a combination of genetic and a
immunologic factors.

常见于肤色较黑的人身上，原因不明。一些人认为，这是受严重日灼或基因组合与免疫因素所造成的。