We've Answered 5 Of Your Most Frequently Asked Questions About Hyperpigmentation

Nov 01, 2018

What is hyperpigmentation? Is there a difference between hyperpigmentation and pigmentation?

Hyperpigmentation is the clinical word used for a dark spot of the skin. It can affect both small and large areas of the skin and in rarer cases, it can occur over the whole body. The condition is not typically painful or harmful to your health. However, sometimes it can be a signal of the presence of a disease.

Any disorders of pigmentation are disorders that affect the color of your skin. Pigmentation in the skin is created from the pigment melanin.

If your body has too much melanin, your skin will become darker and will lead to hyperpigmentation.

If your body does not produce enough melanin, your skin will become lighter and it will lead to hypopigmentation.

Everyone’s skin has three layers. It includes the epidermis (the top layer of skin), the dermis (the second layer of skin) and the subcutaneous layer (a layer that has the fat cells).

The Epidermis

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin. It is relatively thin but extremely tough.

The epidermis contains keratinocytes which are the majority of cells in the epidermis. This is the deepest layer or the basal layer of the epidermis.

It also contains melanocytes which are the cells that contain the pigment melanin. This gives your skin its color. The melanocytes are present in the basal layer of the epidermis.

The Dermis

The Dermis is the second layer of skin that lies underneath the epidermis. It contains both elastic and fibrous tissue and is often considered to be thicker than the epidermis. The dermis is what makes the skin strong and supple. The dermis contains the nerve endings, the blood vessels, hair follicles, sweat glands, and any sebaceous glands.

Subcutaneous layer

The subcutaneous layer lies beneath the dermis. It helps keep your body safe by insulating it from temperature changes while also providing padding to protect you. It also stores energy by maintaining the fat cells.

Sun Exposure

One of the main reasons that hyperpigmentation happens in someone who is healthy is because of overexposure to sunlight. The skin darkens when it produces too much melanin pigment with the melanocytes in the skin. Sunlight triggers melanin production because melanin is the body’s first protection against the sun’s harmful rays. However, if you sit in the sun too long, your skin may experience hyperpigmentation.

Tanning the skin is a sign of sun damage and happens when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays for too long.

UVA Rays

UVA rays are another contributor to hyperpigmentation in the skin. UVA rays will oxidize the pigment melanin that is already present in the skin cells. This leads to the fast darkening of the skin. UVA ray also helps release the melanin that has been stored in the melanocytes, though the total amount of melanin released into the skin is unchanged.

UVB Rays

UVB rays create an increase in melanin pigment and cause melanogenesis. Melanogenesis will cause a delayed darkening effect, often causing the skin to become darker in two or three days.

Other Factors that Contribute to Hyperpigmentation

The skin might suffer from hyperpigmentation because of other factors like changes in hormones, consumption of certain medications, illness, inflammations or injuries.

There are a variety of different kinds of hyperpigmentation that occur in the skin.

Sunspots/Solar Lentigines/Age Spots

Sunspots are the most common in Caucasian people who are older than forty years old. Generally, these liver spots are considered harmless. However, if you want to prevent your skin from developing sunspots, make sure you avoid exposure to the sun and wear protective sunscreen.

UV Ray Hyperpigmentation

UV rays or sunlight will cause the development of age spots. UV rays trigger melanin production and cause the skin to darken. After decades of light exposure, the melanin will overproduce excessively, causing some areas of the skin to have a buildup of melanin. This can often cause age spots to develop.

Tanning Bed Hyperpigmentation

Tanning beds can also trigger the skin to create too much melanin and will cause the skin to develop age spots. People who are genetically prone to age spots are more likely to get them. For instance, someone with fair hair and skin is more likely to have age spots when they get older.

Signs of Age Spots

Age spots are dark brown or pale brown pigmented ovals on the skin. They are often flat but are darker compared to most of the skin that surrounds it. They will occur in places that are often exposed to the sun like the hands, arms, face, and shoulders.

Melasma

Melasma is the discoloration or dark spot that will happen during pregnancy.

Signs of Melasma

Melasma is hyperpigmentation of the skin that is typically symmetrical and will happen on the face. However, it can also happen on the cheeks, the bridge of the nose, the chin, and the forehead. Melasma can also occur on the neck or forearms.

This form of hyperpigmentation is harmless.

Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is when the skin is injured from surgery or a thermal burn like a laser, microdermabrasion or chemical peels. It can also happen after skin disorders like acne, eczema, lichen planus or allergic reactions.

PIH will happen when the skin disrupts the basal layer of the epidermis because of trauma or inflammation. IT will cause the melanin that is present in the melanocytes to leak into the other layers of the skin, creating deeper hyperpigmentation.

You can tell you have PIH if you have been injured and now there are signs of discoloration at the site of the injury. They often appear as patches that can range in color.

People are more likely to develop PIH if they have a darker skin color, though it can happen to anyone, regardless of skin color.

Does you or someone you know have hyperpigmentation? This article could help! Let us know about your experience with your skin in the comments.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!