While skin of all colours can suffer from pigment disorders, they are most common, more noticeable and more of a concern for individuals of Asian, Hispanic or African origin.
Vashi et al found that Black, Hispanic, and Asian women reported their symptoms of PIH more bothersome than White women, and non-White women were also more likely to be concerned with clearing their hyperpigmentation compared to white women (41.6% vs 8.4%, respectively).
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.
Skin inflammation
People with darker skin are more likely to develop post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
The native people of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, have some of the darkest skin pigmentation in the world. Although these people are widely separated they share similar physical environments.
Topping the list is South Sudan, where some of the world's darkest skin tones can be found. The South Sudanese, particularly the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups, are known for their exceptionally deep, dark complexions.
Golden skin tones are medium skin tones. This skin tone is usually seen in people of Asian and Southern European ethnic descent. It can also be referred to as olive skin. This skin tone has a balanced neutral beige hue.
The theory is that people with skin type I have pigment cells that are just not very active, even when exposed to things like sunlight. Those with skin type VI, on the other hand, have cells that are already producing the maximum amount of pigment, so they are relatively 'stable' in response to extra triggers.
If you have light skin and spend a lot of time in the sun, you're more likely to develop age spots areas of increased pigmentation. Age spots are very common in adults older than 50, but younger people can get them if they spend time in the sun.
Hyperpigmentation is a harmless condition affecting your skin. Though it usually isn't any cause for concern, it gives your skin an uneven tone that you might find to be unattractive or distracting from your complexion.
African American skin varies in its tones and shades, which extend between caramel, almond, hazelnut, toffee, java, espresso, ebony, and deep ebony. There is a thicker dermis (middle layer of the skin), which translates to higher levels of collagen levels in the skin.
The most frequent cause of hyperpigmentation is exposure to the sun, which heavily stimulates melanin production. A recent study (Figure 2) demonstrated how early sun exposure might worsen dark spots, by making them resemble melasma, post-inflammatory spots, and age spots [24].
Skin barrier function is reportedly stronger in darker skin tones (the stratum corneum is the skin barrier). Asian skin is reported to have similarities with Caucasian skin in terms of water loss and has the weakest barrier function.
Type IV – Brown skin color, brown hair, and brown eyes, tans more than average, rarely burns, and rarely freckles. Common ethnic background: the Mediterranean, Southern European, Hispanic.
The most lightly pigmented (European, Chinese and Mexican) skin types have approximately half as much epidermal melanin as the most darkly pigmented (African and Indian) skin types.
Hormonal influences are the main cause of a particular kind of hyperpigmentation known as melasma or chloasma. It's particularly common among women and is thought to occur when the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone stimulate the overproduction of melanin when skin is exposed to the sun.
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.
Three of the best vitamins for lightening dark spots are vitamin C, vitamin B12, and vitamin E. Vitamin C helps your skin produce more collagen while inhibiting the formation of melanin. Vitamin B12 also promotes collagen formation while supporting the growth of new skin cells.
Diet plays a large role in keeping skin beautiful and fresh. Japan, China and other countries located in Asia have a rich diet of vitamins (specifically A and C, which benefit skin elasticity) and minerals including antioxidants from fruits and green tea. The Asian diet is very low in saturated and total fat.
According to a study called “Shades of beauty,” light brown skin tones are often the most physically attractive skin color (Frisby et al., 2006). They used four models for that study. They did not change the skin tone, but they imaged each model to three different skin tones: light, medium, and dark.
What ethnicity has the golden blood type? The first person found to have the golden blood type was an Australian Aboriginal woman.