Pigmentation Treatment: Causes, Pigmentation Skin Disorders

Every woman aspires to have flawless clear skin and perfect complexion. But due to factors such as free radicals, hormonal changes, and sun exposure, patchy pigmentation and dark spots occur on your skin. It not only damages your skin but also makes you look older.

Pigmentation is the presence of dark or light patches on the skin. Dark patches on the skin refer to hyperpigmentation and light patches on the skin refer to hypopigmentation. Though it is not life-threatening, it can bother those who desire to have a clear and even skin tone.

Our skin contains cells called melanocytes. These cells produce a pigment called melanin. The color of our skin is determined by the number of melanocytes present in our skin. Melanin not only gives color to the skin but also protects our skin from sun radiation. The more our skin is exposed to sun rays, the melanocytes cells produce more melanin. The excess melanin which is deposited under the skin leads to skin tan and Pigmentation. Any damage caused to these melanocytes cells affects the melanin production in our body and further causes skin pigmentation. It not only occurs in patches on different parts of the body but can also affect the entire body.

• Excess production of melanin makes skin darker which in turn can damage the skin. The dark color of your skin can be either due to pregnancy, Addison’s disease, and sun exposure.
• Excessive sunlight and UV rays make the skin darker, especially the face, hands, and other visible parts of the body.
• Lack of melanin production makes the skin lighter.
• Improper eating habits, lack of sleep, a stressful lifestyle can also cause skin pigmentation and can adversely affect your overall complexion and harm your skin tone.

Hyperpigmentation is a common skin problem that occurs when the skin produces more melanin. This can affect people with all skin types. Hyperpigmentation spots or patches of skin appear darker than surrounding areas.

Melasma and sunspots are some forms of hyperpigmentation which affect the skin when exposed to sun exposure.

The other types of hyperpigmentation can form after an injury or skin inflammation, such as cuts, acne, burns. These can occur anywhere on the body. Hyperpigmentation can also be caused due to medications such as anti-arrhythmic and antimalarial drugs.

Melasma is a type of Hyperpigmentation that is also known as chloasma. This can lead to tan or brown patches that may appear on the forehead, cheeks, upper lip, nose, and chin. It may also occur in women who consume birth control pills or postmenopausal estrogen. This condition is also called "pregnancy mask”.

• Melasma can be treated with certain prescription creams and some over-the-counter skin products.
• Laser resurfacing that target pigment reduces the effects of melasma. Chemical peel also reduces the effect of Melasma.
• Use sunscreen lotion all the time when exposed to sunlight because sunlight will make the Melasma condition even worse.

Hypopigmentation is the skin condition that occurs when your skin becomes lighter than normal. This occurs when you had a skin infection, burns, blister or other trauma. The affected areas may have a decrease of pigmentation which in turn makes the skin lighter. However, it takes a long time to get back to a normal color.

• Hypopigmentation can be treated by using topical creams, over the counter skin care products, laser treatments, etc.
• You should always apply sunscreen lotion because exposure to sunlight can prolong the darkness in the affected areas.

Vitiligo is a type of hypopigmentation that occurs due to a lack of melanin production in your skin which in turn results in the formation of smooth, white patches on the skin usually occurs around the mouth, eyes, or on the back of the hands. In few cases, these patches can also occur all over the body. The diseases associated with vitiligo include diabetes, pernicious anemia, thyroid disease, and Addison’s disease. There is no cure for Vitiligo, but there are several treatments which include topical steroid preparations, topical immunomodulators, Ultraviolet light treatment. All these may take 6 or more months to be effective.