PIGMENTATION / DARK SPOTS
Pigmentation is a common skin condition, where some areas or patches of skin turn darker in colour. It is caused when there is too much of the pigment melanin, on the surface of the skin.
Types of Pigmentation
Freckles are mostly genetic condition. It appear mostly across the upper cheeks and nose at a very young age. Sun exposure and other environmental factors can darken freckles. Freckles tend to fade in the winter, whereas other forms of hyperpigmentation do not.
The medical term for freckles is Ephelides or Lentigenes.
Sun spots are flat, discrete spots, usually on the cheeks, nose, and forehead. They are also common on the back of hands, arms, and decollete. Unlike freckles, they do not fade in the winter.
Sun spots are often called dark spots, brown spots, liver spots in product claims and the beauty industry.
The medical term for age-related spots is Senile Lentigenes.
Age spots are actually spots that result from a cellular waste pigment, called Lipofuscin, which is a totally different pigment from melanin.
Lipofuscin is due to an accumulation of cellular garbage that comes with age. It is oxidized skin lipid that turns yellow or brown.
It is hard to tell the difference between sun spots and age spots with the naked eye. Special UV light scopes can differentiate different types of spots.
Post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation (PIH)
This kind of spotting or discoloration is due to inflammation caused by trauma to the skin.
Things that can cause post-inflammatory pigmentation:
- cystic acne or healing pimple
- cosmetic procedures – lasers, IPL, microdermabrasion
- deep chemical peels
- chemical exfoliants – AHA’s and other acids
- overuse of certain ingredients (e.g. Benzoyl Peroxide)
- mechanical trauma – a wound that leads to a scar or discoloration
- excessive irritation
Melasma is hormonally-induced pigmentation, and occurs in about 70% of pregnant women. It is also known as pregnancy mask or chloasma.
This discoloration is due to pregnancy, birth control pills, changes in estrogen/estradiol/progesterone levels, thyroid dysfunction, and to a lesser extent, high stress.
While it affects all races, melasma occurs most often in brown or olive skin tones.
Melasma is very difficult to treat and takes a long time to fade. It gets worse with sun exposure, so it’s important to wear sunscreen while treating melasma.