Common causes of hyperpigmentation include
- Melasma - It is also known as pregnancy mask is a common skin concern in Asians and Hispanics. Various causes of melasma include genetic, excessive sun exposure, hormonal changes, intake of oral contraceptive pills, intake of certain medications like antiepileptics, stress, cosmetics. Apart from addressing the underlying cause, management of melasma includes medical treatment and procedural intervention. Understanding the root cause of melasma and advising the patient for necessary lifestyle modification is the main aspect of counselling during consultations. Treatments like melasma toning, chemical peels, IPL, mesotherapy, dermapen 4 treatment etc helps in improving the quality of skin.
- Freckles and Sun spots- these are dark brown spots on the skin of the sun exposed areas. These patches appear darker in summer and fade during winter. These are generally hereditary. Management of lease sports includes adequate sun protection and creams that help to lighten the pigmentation. Chemical peels and laser treatment provide satisfactory solutions. However, the freckles tend to recur and require maintenance sessions.
- Pigmented contact dermatitis- these are conditions of hyper pigmentation of skin caused by various chemicals like hair, dye, cosmetics, like foundations, and lipsticks, fairness creams, topical steroids, home remedies, and face packs. Almost all of these conditions are aggravated by sunlight, various conditions like Reihl’s melanosis, Ashy dermatoses are different variants of the same category. These conditions need attention to the root cause of the disease to get the best outcome.
- Lichen planus pigmentosus - It is an autoimmune condition where in the melanocytes are attacked by the white blood cells called lymphocytes which lead to damage of the melanocytes and leakage of the melanin into the dermis-the middle layer of the skin. This condition is aggravated by sunlight. Itching and redness can be associated symptoms. Many of these patients complain of dryness too.
Management of this condition includes immuno modulatory agents, good sun protection topical depigment agents and also topical modulators. Once the disease process is controlled the residual pigment can be cleared using chemical peels and Q Switched Nd-YAG Laser.
- Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation- It is a condition following the inflammatory skin disease like acne, sunburn, allergic contact dermatitis, irritant, contact dermatitis, chemical treatments on the skin. This is a relatively easy condition to treat for dermatologists. The management includes strict sun protection and topical depigmenting agents. Chemical peels and lasers do help to clear up the pigment faster.
Hyperpigmentation or simply, pigmentation of face and exposed areas cause a lot of psychological disturbances as they cause social embarrassment to patients. We at Subodha skin and cosmetic clinic, best dermatology centre in Bangalore, specialise in treating stubborn cases of pigmentation. A customised plan is made for every patient and our expert dermatologists make sure the patients are given the best combinations of oral, topical and procedural treatments.
