What is Hyperpigmentation and Its Types & Preventions?

Hyperpigmentation - Causes, Symptoms & Preventions

What is hyperpigmentation?

Hyperpigmentation is a natural and harmless skin condition where some spots in your skin becomes darker in colour which is also known as dark spots. When melanin - the brown pigment forms deposits in the skin it become hyper-pigmented.

Hyperpigmentation appears as darkened patches or spots on the skin that make skin look uneven. The spots are known as age spots or sun spots and hyperpigmentation is also at the heart of skin conditions such as melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

People with phototype 3 – 6 (Please refer to Fitzpatrick phototyping scale) are normally more affected by hyperpigmentation marks than those with phototype 1 & 2 as skin pigmentation is stronger in phototypes 3 - 6.

Types of Hyperpigmentation

Age Spots

Pigment spots such as age spots (which are also known as sun spots) are caused by sun exposure. For this reason, they appear mainly on body parts that are frequently exposed such as the face, neck, décolleté, hands and arms. They tend to be small, darkened patches of skin. You can read more about what causes them and find out how to reduce them in What causes age spots and how can I reduce them?

Melasma aka Chloasma

Also known as chloasma, melasma is a condition where larger patches of hyperpigmentation develop mainly on the face.

Although it can affect both men and women, melasma is most common in women and is thought to be triggered by changes in hormone levels. Melasma occurs in 10–15 percent of pregnant women and in 10–25 percent of women taking oral contraceptives 1 and is sometimes referred to as “the mask of pregnancy”. You can read more about melasma in What causes melasma and how can I reduce dark patches on my skin?

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation occurs when a skin injury or trauma heals and leaves a flat area of discolouration behind. It’s commonly found among acne sufferers and can also be caused by cosmetic procedures such as dermabrasion, laser treatment and chemical peels.

There are other factors that can cause patches of skin to become darker – such as scarring, birthmarks, solar or actinic keratoses and skin cancers – but these aren’t considered to be forms of hyperpigmentation.

What to do?

Consult your dermatologist or pharmacist if you’re concerned about any of your dark spot or if they start to bleed, itch, or change in size or color.

Products to Reduce Hyperpigmentation

Try Eucerin Spotless Brightening products, visit eucerin.my for more information.