Skin Pigmentation And Skin Disorders
Skin pigmentation is basically what is called the human body’s skin coloring. The body’s skin cells produce a substance known as melanin, which is responsible for helping determine the kind of skin pigmentation a person will have. Skin pigmentation depends on what a person’s racial origin is as well as the amount of sunlight they are usually exposed to.
Usually mentioned when discussing skin pigmentation are skin problems and terms like freckles, flat moles, liver spots, brown spots, age spots, sun spots, solar lentigo, actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis, port-wine stains, birthmarks, melasma, chloasma, mask of pregnancy, acne scarring, wound scarring, and post-inflammatory pigmentation. These all, in one way or another, concern the skin’s coloring. The skin disorders mentioned often manifest as skin discolorations.
Disorders related with skin pigmentation usually result from irregularities in melanin production within the body. Damaged skin cells or unhealthy skin cells affect the body’s production of melanin which in turn causes abnormalities in skin pigmentation.
Pigmentation disorders may affect only small portions of a person’s skin or affect the whole body itself. There are two main categories of skin pigmentation problems, namely hypopigmentation as well as hyperpigmentation. The first classification, hypopigmentation, is concerned with the irregular reduction of skin color while hyperpigmentation is concerned with irregular increased skin color.
In what way does hyperpigmentation occur? Hyperpigmentation happens when melanin in the body is excessively produced. The result is a person having darker skin pigmentation that is really not their usual skin color. Hyperpigmentation is also known as dyschromia. Hyperpigmentation commonly shows up on the face as well as the hands and arms.
Categorized under dyschromia are age spots, sun spots, liver spots, freckles, and melasma. The reasons for dyschromia include heredity, pregnancy, acne, failed skin treatments, Addison’s disease, hormonal changes, and sun exposure. Hypopigmentation, on the other hand, makes the skin appear lighter than it should be due to decreased melanin production. Hypopigmentation is often seen on a person’s skin because of reasons such as Tinea versicolor, Pityriasis alba, blisters, infections, albinism, burns, and vitiligo.
With either kind of skin pigmentation disorder, the discoloration often makes the afflicted person unhappy with their skin. That is why many seek treatment through medical means to eliminate their skin problems. The discolorations can be treated through various methods. Among the most popular include the use of pigmentation creams. These creams help alleviate the discoloration that is caused by pigmentation problems. Products that are meant for skin lightening are also utilized and include components such as hydroquinone, Vitamin C, retinoids, and kojic acid.
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 connected with skin pigmentation.
Tags: age spots, anti ageing, skin care
