Pigmentation

What is hyperpigmentation?

Hyperpigmentation is when the skin appears dark, blotchy, and uneven in colour. This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin colour, forms excess deposits in the skin as a form of protection. There are different forms of hyperpigmentation which differ in their depth and cause for the darkening. Hyperpigmentation can affect the skin colour of people of any race, although darker skin types tend to struggle more. Hyperpigmentation is a very difficult condition to treat depending on the different depths that it may occur.

1. Epidermal (superficial) hyperpigmentation – this hyperpigmentation can be treated effectively with cosmeceutical products containing active de-pigmenting ingredients as it sits in the epidermis.

2. Dermal (deeper) hyperpigmentation – this hyperpigmentation cannot be treated effectively with any cosmeceutical de-pigmenting ingredient as it lies in the dermal layer. The only effective treatments are specific pigment lasers.

3. A mixture of epidermal and dermal hyperpigmentation – Certain cosmeceuticals containing active de-pigmenting ingredients will be effective in reducing the epidermal hyperpigmentation; however the dermal pigmentation will remain unaffected.

There are a number of different factors that can trigger hyperpigmentation and these are as follows:

Sun damage is a very common trigger of hyperpigmentation, especially in hotter climates such as Africa’s. Freckles, age spots, and other darkened skin patches can become darker or more pronounced when skin is exposed to the sun. This happens because melanin absorbs the energy of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays in order to protect the skin from damage.

Melasma or Chloasma is hyperpigmentation triggered by hormonal changes/influences. Pregnancy, for example, can trigger overproduction of melanin that causes hyperpigmentation on the face. Melasma frequently reduces after pregnancy. Women who take birth control pills may also develop hyperpigmentation because their bodies undergo similar kinds of hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy.

Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is another form of hyperpigmentation that is caused by any sort of trauma to the skin. (e.g. Acne) Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) causes skin darkening and discoloration that show up as spots, or as large patches on a person's skin. This is because cells that normally produce brown pigment evenly across your skin produce too much melanin. This happens because of an inflammatory reaction in the skin, or injury to the skin. Although PIH can occur in all skin types, it is more common in people of African, Asian, Latin, and indigenous Indian background, and can affect men and women equally.