What medical condition causes darkening of the skin?

Author: Haylee Keeling Sr.  |  Last update: Friday, September 12, 2025

Causes of hyperpigmentation include:
  • Skin inflammation (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation)
  • Use of certain drugs (such as minocycline, certain cancer chemotherapies, and birth control pills)
  • Hormone system diseases such as Addison disease.
  • Hemochromatosis (iron overload)
  • Sun exposure.

What autoimmune disease makes your skin darker?

Lupus: If you have lupus, you may develop a rash on your nose and cheeks after sun exposure. Addison's disease: It causes patches of dark skin around skin folds or joints.

What causes sudden skin darkening?

Cells called melanocytes located in the skin, produce melanin. Melanin gives the skin its color. In certain conditions melanocytes can become abnormal and cause an excessive amount of darkening in the color of the skin. Hyperpigmented concentric rings over the tibia are secondary to prior inflammation.

What infection causes skin darkening?

Overview. Tinea versicolor is a common fungal infection of the skin. The fungus interferes with the normal pigmentation of the skin, resulting in small, discolored patches. These patches may be lighter or darker in color than the surrounding skin and most commonly affect the trunk and shoulders.

What deficiency causes skin darkening?

The hyperpigmentation related to vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in darker-skinned patients. Few other cases of skin hyperpigmentation due to vitamin B12 deficiency have been reported in the literature. The mechanism of hyperpigmentation is due to increased melanin synthesis rather than a defect in melanin.

Darkened Skin Spots: 3 Causes of Dark Spots on Skin – Dr.Berg

What cancers cause gray skin?

Pigmented basal cell cancers have dark areas, often brown, blue or grey in colour.

Why is my skin suddenly going darker?

Your skin can develop darker patches as the result of excess melanin production, typically caused by skin inflammation, hormone fluctuations, and poor lifestyle choices. Age spots – also known as sun spots and liver spots – can also be signs of skin conditions, such as Melasma.

What does acanthosis nigricans look like?

The main sign of acanthosis nigricans is dark, thick, velvety skin in body folds and creases. It often appears in the armpits, groin and back of the neck. It develops slowly. The affected skin might be itchy, have an odor and develop skin tags.

Which hormone causes skin darkening?

Estrogen and progesterone are two of the major factors responsible for catamenial hyperpigmentation of the skin.

Does lupus cause skin darkening?

Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (SCLE)

The rash does not normally cause scarring, though can cause considerable darkening or lightening of parts of the skin. These skin changes can be avoided or made less severe by using sun protection.

What is the disease that turns your skin color?

Vitiligo is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. This happens when melanocytes – skin cells that make pigment – are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn a milky-white color.

What can be mistaken as vitiligo?

Here's a look at seven other skin conditions that are sometimes mistaken for vitiligo and how they differ from it.
  • Albinism. Masego Morulane/Getty Images; Canva. ...
  • Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Adobe Stock. ...
  • Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis (IGH) iStock. ...
  • Melasma. Duangjan J/Shutterstock. ...
  • Pityriasis Alba. ...
  • Scleroderma. ...
  • Tinea Versicolor.

How can I stop my skin from darkening?

Here are some of the things you could try:
  1. Niacinamide. Also known as vitamin B3 this powerful skincare ingredient has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and even skin tone. ...
  2. Retinol. ...
  3. Microdermabrasion kit. ...
  4. BB creams. ...
  5. Vitamin C.

What does your skin look like with Addison's disease?

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.

What drug makes your skin darker?

The incidence of this change varies, and depends on the type of medication involved. Some of the most common drugs involved are NSAIDs, antimalarials, psychotropic drugs, Amiodarone, cytotoxic drugs, tetracyclines, and heavy metals such as silver and gold (which must be ingested, not just worn).

What can be mistaken for acanthosis nigricans?

In rare instances, this condition can be found in areas other than skin folds, such as extensor surfaces of the fingers. Acanthosis nigricans can be confused with physiologic hyperpigmentation or lichen simplex chronicus in some patients.

Why is my skin turning black under my breast?

It is often associated with obesity and insulin resistance. When your doctor or nurse did your exam, they pointed out a dark skin patch on your neck, armpit, under the breast or a skin crease. This dark patch is called acanthosis nigricans (AAY-can-THO-sis NIG-ruh-cans), or AN.

Can you have acanthosis nigricans but not obese or diabetic?

When acanthosis nigricans develops in people who are not overweight, a medical work-up should be done. Rarely acanthosis nigricans is associated with a tumor, most commonly of the stomach or gut.

What is skin darkening a symptom of?

Causes of hyperpigmentation include: Skin inflammation (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) Use of certain drugs (such as minocycline, certain cancer chemotherapies, and birth control pills) Hormone system diseases such as Addison disease.

Why is my skin getting darker even though I don't go out?

Numerous variables, such as sun exposure, hormone changes, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, ageing, skin conditions, and lifestyle choices, can cause skin darkening. Understanding the underlying reasons will help us avoid or cure darker skin tones.

What are the three common types of discoloration?

What are the Symptoms of Skin Discoloration?
  • Hyperpigmentation characterized by darkened areas.
  • Hypopigmentation, presenting as lighter skin.
  • Redness or red discoloration due to increased blood flow to the affected areas.
  • Poor circulation may result in a bluish or purple hue.

What organ failure causes grey skin?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the skin in people with kidney failure may become: pale. gray.

What are the six signs of leukemia?

Common leukemia signs and symptoms include:
  • Fever or chills.
  • Persistent fatigue, weakness.
  • Frequent or severe infections.
  • Losing weight without trying.
  • Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen.
  • Easy bleeding or bruising.
  • Recurrent nosebleeds.
  • Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)

What are the symptoms of myeloma on the skin?

“If it affects the skin, it usually occurs very late in the course of the disease in a limited area of the skin,” he said. A multiple myeloma rash can present in different forms, such as redness, bumps, blisters, or lesions on the skin. Depending on the cause, these rashes may or may not be itchy.

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