A common, usually harmless condition in which patches of skin are darker than the surrounding skin. It occurs when special cells in the skin make too much of the pigment called melanin. Hyperpigmentation may appear as freckles, age spots, or larger areas of darkened skin.
The three main types include age spots, melasma, and post-inflammatory trauma. Post-inflammatory trauma can result from an injury, sun exposure, or a skin condition, such as acne.
As well as appearing on the face, sunspots can also occur on exposed areas such as the hands and forearms. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation also looks like flat spots on the skin, often ranging from tan to black – or sometimes even blue or grey-tinged tones.
Hyperpigmentation is a common, usually harmless condition in which patches of skin become darker in color than the normal surrounding skin. This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin color, forms deposits in the skin.
Hyperpigmentation may appear as freckles, age spots, or larger areas of darkened skin. Hyperpigmentation may be caused by injury or inflammation of the skin, sun damage, abnormal skin growths, hormone changes, pregnancy, or other medical conditions.
Albinism, melasma, vitiligo, Addison's disease, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which can be brought on by eczema, acne vulgaris, and drug interactions, are the most common skin pigmentation disorders in clinical practice.
A number of factors can trigger an increase in melanin production, but the main ones are sun exposure, hormonal influences, age and skin injuries or inflammation. Sun exposure is the number one cause of hyperpigmentation as it's sunlight that triggers the production of melanin in the first place.
There are three typical patterns of distribution: centrofacial (63%), malar (21%), and mandibular (16%). It is usually, but not always, bilateral. Epidermal melasma tends to be light brown, enhancing under Wood Lamp examination. Dermal melasma appears grayish in color and is nonenhancing.
The primary triggers for hyperpigmentation are excessive sun exposure, hormonal imbalance, and skin injuries. These cause inflammation like blemishes or pimples on the skin surface. After experiencing triggers, your skin starts to overproduce melanin, resulting in dark patches on the skin.
Topical therapies (creams and lotions applied to the skin) are the most common treatment option for hyperpigmentation. Combination therapy, in which multiple topical treatments are used together, is usually most effective in treating hyperpigmentation. The most common cause of hyperpigmentation is sun exposure.
Symptoms of Addison's disease include: Steadily worsening fatigue (most common symptom). Patches of dark skin (hyperpigmentation), especially around scars and skin creases and on your gums.
Hyperpigmentation may be sun damage and sun spots if you have a history of chronic sun exposure and tanning. Melasma often presents as broad patches of discoloration, whereas sun spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation may look like small circles or focused dots.
“Treatments containing ingredients like vitamin C, licorice root, and kojic acid help reduce hyperpigmentation by inhibiting tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for the formation of skin-darkening melanin," says Ni'Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist in New York City.
The deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause specific skin manifestations, such as hyperpigmentation, vitiligo, angular stomatitis, and hair and nail changes [1].
Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation is more prevalent among individuals with darker skin tones, particularly those with Fitzpatrick skin types IV to VI. These patients have a greater baseline melanin production and more reactive melanocytes.
While autoimmune adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease) remains the commonest cause of hyperpigmentation due to systemic disease, there are sparse reports in the literature of hyperpigmentation associated with hyperthyroidism.
As sun exposure worsens hyperpigmentation it is important to protect the skin with sunscreen on a daily basis. Treatment often begins with a skin care regimen composed of a daily sunscreen, moisturizers, and skin care brighteners.
Treating the underlying cause of acanthosis nigricans can make the dark patches of skin fade or even disappear. This can mean stopping any medicine that's causing the problem or treating diabetes and other health conditions. Losing weight will help acanthosis nigricans fade.
Common causes of widespread hyperpigmentation include melasma, drugs, substances, cancers, and other systemic disorders. Test patients who have widespread hyperpigmentation not caused by drugs or substances for disorders such as primary biliary cholangitis, hemochromatosis, and Addison disease.
Does Drinking Water Help Pigmentation? Research notes that increasing how much water you drink everyday can positively impact the skin's overall health and appearance. 5 This suggests, that in some cases, staying hydrated may help with some types of skin pigmentation.
The biggest external cause of pigmentation disorders is sun exposure. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun stimulate melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin (skin pigment).