Hyperpigmentation
in the intimate area
Darker skin on your pubic area, in your groin, along the bikini line or in your underarms is very common. The medical term is hyperpigmentation, and with peels or a programme combining clinic and home care, the colour can become lighter and more even.
It usually comes from friction, hair removal or hormones, and which treatment suits you depends on that cause. That is why we first look at where it comes from, in a private room and at your own pace.
Where does the
discolouration come from?
Where it sits and when it started say more than the colour itself. That decides whether a peel helps, a programme, or the GP first.
Darker where you remove hair
post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation- What the practitioner looks at
- Whether the colour follows exactly the places where you remove hair, and whether there are ingrown hairs or bumps as well.
- What it is
- Shaving and waxing irritate the skin a little each time. Pigment cells respond to that irritation with extra pigment, and after months or years it stays visible.
- What we do
- Peels that make the colour lighter and more even. We also look at how you remove hair, because as long as that irritates the skin, the pigment comes back.
With peels or a programme combining clinic and home care, matched to the cause and to how dark it is. What it costs is shown below.
What helps and what we advise against
With a darker intimate area, the result depends mostly on the cause. That is why it starts with looking, and only then with treating.
This works
- First establishing where the discolouration comes from, because the cause decides which treatment fits
- Peels suited to this skin, as a single treatment or as a course with a cream for home
- A programme combining clinic and home care for dark discolouration in the groin and bikini area
- Thinking along about the cause, such as another way of removing hair if shaving keeps irritating the skin
We advise against this
- Making your skin lighter than it naturally is. The goal is an even colour
- Treating when there is inflammation or the skin has just been depilated. Then we wait until it has recovered
- Recommending bleaching creams from the internet. They can irritate the skin and so make it darker instead
- Treating during pregnancy or breastfeeding, because research on its safety is lacking
What we use for this
Dermamelan Intimate
€ 550Pigment treatment for the intimate area, set up the same way as the facial programme.
Happy Intim
€ 175Peels that make pigment in the intimate area and underarms lighter and more even.
An appointment,
step by step
A treatment in an area where you feel vulnerable, and we act accordingly. You hear beforehand exactly what will happen.
A conversation first
You tell us what you see and since when, and you decide how much. You hear exactly what is going to happen before anything happens.
A private room
The treatment takes place behind a closed door, by a practitioner of your choice. You can say it is enough at any moment.
A few quiet days
Afterwards the skin is dry and sensitive for a few days. Skip tight clothing, sport and the sauna for those days.
Frequently asked questions
Is a darker pubic area normal?
Yes, it is very common. The skin in the intimate area naturally has more pigment than the rest of your body, and friction, hair removal and hormones often make it a little darker still. It is usually harmless; whether you want to do something about it is up to you.
What does a treatment cost?
A Happy Intim peel costs € 175 per treatment, and € 300 as a course including lightening cream. Dermamelan Intimate is one programme of € 550, including the products for home. The intake costs € 50; if you have a treatment in the same appointment, that amount is deducted again. Which treatment suits you, and what the total will be, you hear in the intake.
How many treatments do I need?
That depends on how dark the area is and where it comes from. Happy Intim can be done as a single treatment or as a course; Dermamelan Intimate is one programme with check-ups along the way. In the intake you hear which of the two suits you.
Does it hurt?
It stings, but it should not burn. A peel is left on briefly, and you can say it is enough at any moment. Afterwards the skin is dry and sensitive for a few days.
Can I shave or wax before the treatment?
Preferably not in the days before. Freshly depilated skin is irritated and reacts differently to a peel; if the skin has not yet recovered, we wait before treating.
Is it possible during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
No, then we wait. For peels and the pigment programmes, there is not enough research to say they are safe in that period, and pigment that appears during a pregnancy often fades largely afterwards.
When should I see my GP first?
If the skin becomes thicker and velvety as well as darker, if the discolouration increases quickly, or if it itches, hurts or is inflamed. Then you first want to know what is behind it, and after that we are happy to take it further.
Isn't it embarrassing to come in for this?
No. You come into a private room with a practitioner of your choice, and you decide how much you tell. For us it is a treatment like any other.
Book an intake. At your own pace.
In the intake we look at where the discolouration comes from and which treatment fits. You hear beforehand what it costs, and nothing happens without you knowing.
Book a consultationNot sure yet? Ask your question