Disorders of pigmentation 1. Some pigmentation disorders create patches on the skin and others affect the entire body. When these cells become damaged or unhealthy, it affects melanin production. Pigmentation disorders can come knocking at your door for a variety of reasons (skin trauma, hormones, disease). It results in skin appearing blotchy or skin discoloration such as melasma, vitiligo and albinism. Use a good cleanser, followed with a toner and moisturizer, and don’t forget your sunscreen! Laser skin resurfacing (full field ablative) and fractional resurfacing (micro-ablative) can be used to treat skin pigmentation. Sunscreens and avoiding sun exposure can prevent melasma from becoming worse. Many also have vision problems. Once melanin is produced, it is carried by keratinocytes to the skin surface, where the ‘pigment’ alters the color of your skin. Types of hyperpigmentation There are several types of hyperpigmentation, the common ones being melasma, sunspots, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Skin Pigmentation Disorders. The epidermis has five layers. If your body makes too much melanin, your skin gets darker. Albinism. These damages can be caused by scratching your skin, wrong use of … Vitiligo is a skin disease resulting in the loss of pigmentation. The color of the skin, hair, and eyes are due to the production of melanin in the body. When this changes, we will update this web site. Aside from exfoliation, a gentle daily skin care regimen is also recommended. If the skin develops white spots it is called hypopigmentation. Solar Lentigines are the pigmentation types also known as liver spots, sun spots, brown spots or age spots. Home Skin Pigmentation: Facts, Causes, and Cure Having crystal clear complexion is the holy grail of beauty. In some fair-skinned people, certain melanocytes produce more melanin than others in response to sunlight. Your skin is approximately 2 mm thick, and comprises two major layers — the epidermis and dermis — which cover a third fatty layer — the subcutis, or hypodermis. No treatment is needed. Hyperpigmentation is also called melasma that can occur … Typical hyperpigmentation disorders include postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, melasma, solar lentigines, ephelides (freckles), and café au lait macules. Pressure ulcers (PUs) are defined as areas of necrosis and ulceration where tissues are compressed between bone and hard surfaces, such as a bed or chair. “However, the skin on the neck and face is often more sensitive than other parts of the body. When the skin is exposed to the sun’s harmful UV rays, it naturally produces more melanin to protect itself, leading to pigmentation disorders. Their eyes may seem red in different lighting conditions. It reduces the amount of melanin pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. Laser resurfacing is usually a last resort for melasma treatment, after steroid creams and chemical peels have been tried. Pigmentation Disorders Overview of Pigmentation Disorders. Description People of all races have skin pigmentation disorders. Those with an oily skin type in their teenage years can find their skin becoming drier post-puberty and those with a normal skin type can find their skin getting drier as they age. “One must be careful with the use of lasers in darker-skinned types and in patients who are at risk of hyperpigmentation after trauma,” warns Dr. Kappel. Coloration (pigmentation) is determined by the amount of melanin in the skin. These types of pigmentation must be monitored as they have the potential to develop into skin cancer and melanoma. “The preparation, depth of the peel, and aftercare are very important and should only be determined by an experienced provider, as they know how to avoid any complications,” adds Dr. Kappel. They occur when the body produces too little or too much melanin. The type and amount of melanin in the skin determine the color of a person’s skin, hair, and the irises of the eyes. The use of this type of measurement can be most effective when determining pigment in the skin and the skin’s response to inflammation and hyperpigmentation. While typically harmless, increased skin pigmentation can be caused by several things. Types of skin pigmentation & treatment. It is thought to be an autoimmune disease. These melanocytes are also the cells in which melanomas (skin cancers) develop. “This disordered distribution of pigment can age a person dramatically.”, “Melasma is a skin condition that results from hormones (pregnancy, birth control pills, estrogens), genetics, medications and environmental factors,” Dr. Kappel explains. “The best results occur when patients ‘prime’ their skin by using hydroquinone and retinoic acid for several weeks prior to their procedure, as it helps stabilize the melanocytes. Albinism is the "congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration in a person, animal or plant, resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink eyes in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish and invertebrates as well. It may also affect hair and the inside of the mouth.Normally, the color of hair and skin is determined by melanin. Melanin gives color to the skin, hair, and iris of the eyes. ”. Hyperpigmentation irregulities are quite common and many times are associated with the aging process. Sometimes, after an ulcer, blister, burn, or infection, the skin does not replace some of the pigment in that area. Your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin. Vachiramon, V.; Thadanipon, K. (2011) Postinflammatory hypopigmentation. Dark brown to gray-brown, symmetric patches of pigment on the face. They can appear anywhere on the body and are caused by UV rays from the sun exposure. Common causes of hyperpigmentation include postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, melasma, solar lentigines, ephelides (freckles), and café-au-lait macules. Zwivel LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 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