Disorders of pigmentation
- Pigmentation means coloring. Skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin. Skin cells give your skin color by making a substance called melanin. When these cells become damaged or unhealthy, it affects melanin production. Some pigmentation disorders affect just patches of skin. Others affect your entire body.
- If your body makes too much melanin, your skin gets darker. Pregnancy, Addison's disease and sun exposure all can make your skin darker. If your body makes too little melanin, your skin gets lighter. Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of light skin. Albinism is a genetic condition affecting all of a person's skin. Infections, blisters and burns can cause lighter skin.
- Pigmentation disorders are disturbances of human skin color, either loss or reduction, which may be related to loss of melanocytes or the inability of melanocytes to produce melanin or transport melanosomes correctly.
Treatment for Disorders of pigmentation
- How to prevent pigmentation disorders
- Almost all problems associated with hyper pigmentation can be traced to over-exposure to the sun. This is why routinely using a sun protection product is extremely important. Women who have a history of developing melasma may be able to lower their risk of a recurrence by using a non-hormonal form of birth control. This is something that needs to be discussed with a physician so that all the factors and risks can be evaluated.
Pigmentation disorder treatments
- Many different treatments are available to those who are affected by hyper pigmentation disorders. These include chemical peels, cryotherapy, laser/intense pulsed light, and even topical lightening agents.
- The treatments for hypo pigmentation conditions are much more challenging. Pigment damage to the skin where a burn or other severe trauma has occurred can resolve itself over time. The melanocytes can migrate to the affected area and slowly over a time the damaged skin can begin to regain its normal pigmentation. It can be a very slow process. Treatments for vitiligo currently have little effectiveness. Many people choose to apply sunless tanning products to the affected areas.
