Dr. Satish Gala

Are you observing uneven pigmentation on your skin? In this condition, the color of your skin may get different in different places and it affects people of all skin colors, types and backgrounds. Skin pigmentation may arise from several factors such as exposure to sunlight, skin damage, inflammation and certain genetic conditions. It is mostly caused due to an overproduction or underproduction of melanin.

Here are the different types of skin pigmentation

1. Freckles: These are caused by clusters of concentrated melanin. These tend to darken with exposure to more sunlight. Freckles are more common in people with a fair complexion.
2. Age spots or liver spots: These are also called solar lentigos. This is a type of skin pigmentation, which is mostly associated with aging and prolonged exposure to UV light. This condition is more common in people beyond the age of 40 as the skin starts losing its ability of repairing sun damage.
3. Birthmarks: These are unusual blemishes on the skin, which are found during birth. They also develop some weeks after birth. Pigmented birthmarks and vascular birthmarks are the two primary types of this pigmentation.
4. Melasma: Melasma occurs in both men and women. It is more common in women, especially among pregnant women who use contraceptive pills and women receiving hormone replacement therapy. The condition occurs due to over activation of melanocytes by estrogen and progesterone. When the skin gets exposed to sunlight, it leads to an increase in melanin production.

Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation
This condition arises due to an increased production of melanin because of inflammatory responses. The inflammation occurs during a trauma in the skin layers. It may occur due to various reasons such as acne, skin injury, infections, dermatitis, medications, allergic reactions and some medicines.

Treatment for skin pigmentation
For treating skin pigmentation which occurs because of melanin overproduction, it is recommended for you to get less exposed to sunlight, especially in the affected area. This will prevent the condition from worsening. You should always apply an SP 30+ sunscreen while going out in the sun and cover the affected area from sunlight. The treatment of skin pigmentation depends on several factors, such as the type and cause of pigmentation and the layer of skin where it occurs. There are several modes of treatment, which include pigmentation removal, skin peels, skin needling and many more. These are quite effective in the treatment of different skin pigmentation types.

It is recommended that you consult a skin specialist in case you experience any symptoms of skin pigmentation. This will enable you to have a quick diagnosis and after knowing about the type you are affected with, treatment steps can be started. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!