Skin Pigmentation _ Causes and Treatment

What is Skin Pigmentation?

Your complexion is decided by pigments referred to as melanin that is made by specialized cells melanocytes) of the skin. There are over a hundred and fifty genes that have an effect on complexion either directly or indirectly. Thus there’s really nothing much you can do regarding the natural pigmentation/colour of your skin.

What Causes Skin Pigmentation Disorders?

Sometimes, the melanin production goes out of the normal; either deficient or an excessive amount of melanin is made inflicting skin pigmentation disorders. These conditions make the skin appear lighter or darker than traditional, or blotchy and stained. An excessive amount of melanin causes hyperpigmentation and deficient melanin leads to hypopigmentation.

The root cause is mostly attributed to internal factors like hormones, epithelial tissue cells, or biological conditions like pregnancy. External factors like UV, burning, or contact with some chemicals might cause pigmentation disorders. Stress and dietary imbalances are also the precursors of the many disorders, are also known to cause skin pigmentation disorders.

What happens is, melanin is created by a series of oxidative reactions that involve the amino acid Tyrosine within the presence of the enzyme Tyrosinase. So, control the action of Tyrosinase can alter or halt melanin production.

Some of the common skin pigmentation disorders

Melasma:

 Melasma is a skin pigmentation disorder that appears on the face or on the other parts in the form of tan or brown patches, especially on the forehead, cheeks, upper lip, nose, and chin. Melasma is mostly seen in pregnant women. The spots generally fade after pregnancy, but sometimes they just don’t go away. It may also occur in women if she takes birth control pills or because of postmenopausal estrogen. Well, men too can get Melasma sometimes because of nutritional deficiencies.

Vitiligo:

Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder where the immune system of the body attacks the pigment cells, and the consequent loss of pigments causes white skin patches, usually around the mouth and eyes, or on the back of the hands. In some people, skin discolouration can appear all over the body. Vitiligo can also occur if you suffer from the disease associated with immune system disorder such as diabetes, pernicious anaemia, thyroid disease, or Addison’s disease

Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation/Hypopigmentation:

 Sometimes, skin infection, tan, sunburn, blisters other burns on the skin or other trauma to your skin can cause a decrease or increase of pigmentation in the affected area that’s called Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation or Hypopigmentation.

Albinism: 

Albinism is an inherited disorder caused by the absence of the pigment melanin. It can occur in skin, hair, or eyes.

Freckles Treatment: 

Freckles is a type of pigmentation disorder in which tiny dark spots appear on the skin in bulk, noticeably on the nose, cheeks, upper shoulders and arms.

How to Treat Pigmentation Disorders?

Our experts at MAAC will help evaluate the extent of pigmentation disorder by visual examination first, and based on the result, Pigmentation treatment is advised. This treatment is quite common now and safe and inexpensive too. Pigmentation treatment focuses on eliminating excess deposits of melanin (the brown pigment that gives skin its natural colour).