Can You Change Your Skin Color Permanently? Truth Behind Skin Color Changes

We aren’t born perfect and there are many ways we’d like to improve our looks. A lot of us want to change our skin tone, trying to get lighter or darker to feel more beautiful and confident. However, can you change your skin color permanently?

Yes, though it may not be as easy as you’d think! Learn more about how we change our skin color and why it can change for good.

Can You Change Your Skin Color Permanently?

The colors of our skins are determined by special cells called melanocytes. These produce melanin, which is a pigment that protects our skin from the sun, also giving it color. The more active the melanocytes are, the more melanin is produced, and the darker our skins are.

However, human skin doesn’t work like a chameleon where we can change colors to match our surroundings. Nor does it change color when our skin sheds (a totally normal occurrence). The skin color we are born with is what we are stuck with, though there are times it can change from environmental factors!

Darkening Skin Color

Various methods can have us change skin colors, and let them stay permanently. We can now darken our skin with the following methods:

• Tanning under the sun, with ultraviolet rays from the sun or tanning booths triggering melanocytes, which has the cells produce melanin to darken your skin. You can either do external or internal tanning while applying certain oils for better results
• Skin procedures known to increase melanin production

Read more: How to Get Darker Skin Naturally Without Sun: The Best Ways!

Lightening Skin Color

We can also whiten our skin with these methods:

• Whitening lotions and creams you can purchase over the counter
• Bleaching treatments and creams that are safe on the skin
• Laser therapies to decrease melanin production
• Whitening pills that have retinoids or mercury, though you will need to advise your doctor before taking them
• Castile soaps and facials that reduce melanin quantities

There are also the home-based treatment and natural “remedies” to help change your skin color, such as:

• Aloe vera gel
• Lemon juice
• Green tea
• Yogurt
• Turmeric
• And many more ingredients known to be beneficial for your skin while altering melanin production

Do take note that these natural alternatives have minimal studies on its effects and if the skin color change remains permanent.

Besides what I mentioned above, some people do change skin color and it stays that way, because of a condition called vitiligo. However, these are only patches of skin that suddenly turn white, as it has lost skin pigmentation.

Read more: What Foods Make Your Skin Lighter? The Top 11 You Should Eat!

Take Note Before Undergoing Treatments

Before you get into any skin color change treatment, be sure that you have checked with your doctor about your skin type before undergoing any procedures. If you want to permanently change your skin color, you will need to take better care of your skin and be patient, as permanent results will require long-term solutions and aftercare.

For example, if you would like to get darker from tanning, then you will need to continue tanning for the long-term. This will make sure the results are permanent, as your skin is more likely to become lighter if you stop tanning. The same goes for using bleaching creams or soaps when lightening your skin.

But if ever your skin color changes and is accompanied with rashes, wounds, itching, pain, or other uncomfortable symptoms, check with a doctor immediately. Cease all treatments you may be doing, as this may be the cause of your skin worsening.

If you want to learn more about changing skin colors permanently, here’s an informative video showing how exactly our skin changes:

Wrapping It Up

All skin colors are beautiful, and it’s entirely your choice if you would like to become lighter or darker! There are possible ways to change your skin color permanently, though you have to make sure that you only use safe methods. That way, you can feel confident with yourself and minimize doing any permanent damage to your body.

I hope that this article answered your question, “can you change your skin color permanently?” Now that you know the answer and if you’d like to change your skin color, look into healthy methods how.