To put it simply, skin pigmentation refers to the body’s skin coloration. A substance made by the body’s melanocytes (skin cells) determines a individual’s skin pigmentation. Skin pigmentation depends on what a person’s racial origin is as well as the amount of sun’s rays they are usually exposed to.
Terms and skin conditions that are commonly discussed in relation to skin pigmentation are terms such as age spots, liver spots, acne scarring, post-inflammatory pigmentation, wound scarring, moles, flat moles, brown spots, keratosis, melasma, freckles, seborrheic keratosis, actinic keratosis, sun spots, solar lentigo, chloasma, mask of pregnancy, birthmarks, port-wine stains, and so on and so forth. These all, in one way or another, concern the skin’s coloring. This is because skin disorders typically appear as discolorations of the skin.
Disorders associated with skin pigmentation usually result from irregularities in melanin production within the body. When skin cells are damaged or unhealthy, melanin production can be seriously affected, leading to abnormalities in the pigmentation of the epidermis.
The entire person’s body can be affected by skin pigmentation abnormalities but they can also appear as small patches only. There are two principal classifications of skin pigmentation problems, namely hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation. The first classification, hypopigmentation, is concerned with the irregular reduction of skin color while hyperpigmentation is concerned with irregular increased skin color.
What are the causes for the occurrence of hyperpigmentation? It occurs when there is an excessive production of the skin’s melanin. The result is a person having darker skin pigmentation that is really not their usual skin color. Dyschromia is the other term for hyperpigmentation. The most typically afflicted parts of the body where the discoloration appears are the hands, arms and face.
Categorized under dyschromia are age spots, sun spots, liver spots, freckles, and melasma. Causes of dyschromia can be too much sun exposure, pregnancy, Addison’s disease, hormonal changes, acne, failed skin treatments, and heredity. Hypopigmentation, on the other hand, makes the skin become lighter than it should be due to decreased melanin making. Reasons for hypopigmentation include Pityriasis Alba, blisters, Vitiligo, Tinea Versicolor, Albinism, burns, as well as infections.
No matter what skin pigmentation problem a individual may have, that individual will commonly not feel good about their skin’s condition. This is the reason why numerous individuals look for methods to treat their skin pigmentation problems medically. There are many different kinds of ways to treat skin pigmentation problems. Among the most popular include the use of pigmentation creams. Individuals use the creams because they give some relief for their skin condition. Skin lightening products that contain kojic acid, retinoids, Vitamin C, and hydroquinone are also widely used for this purpose.
Skin pigmentation is a big concern when it comes to one’s appearance. This is why it is no surprise that so much effort and money today are invested in researching and developing treatments for disorders related to skin pigmentation.
