What Causes Skin Hyperpigmentation: 7 Contributing Factors
Skin hyperpigmentation is a dermatological condition that causes dark spots on the dark spots on the butt, hands, faces and other highly visible body parts. When the condition becomes severe, it could lead to melisma, sun spots, freckles, liver spots and age spots.
Usually, the pigment that is usually responsible for hyperpigmentation is called Melanin. That is, when it gets produced in excess, this will cause the skin to darken.
However, hyperpigmentation is an easily treatable condition as long as you are using the right skin care product. Melblok, a cream company is one of the best when it comes to offering effective creams for hyperpigmentation treatment.
These products are usually made while considering the different types of skin types and age for effective results. Thus, noticing dark spots on your skin be it the neck or face, these could be early signs of skin darkening.
Contents
Types of hyperpigmentation
There are several types of hyperpigmentation. They include;
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: This is a result of inflammations or injuries to the skin. Usually, this type of hyperpigmentation is caused by acne.
- Sunspots/ liver spots: these are the most common. They are caused due to the excess exposure to the sun over some time. Normally, these spots will appear as spots on the areas of exposure to the sun e.g. the face and hands.
- Melasma: this condition is usually due to hormonal changes. Usually it develops during pregnancy. Although hyperpigmentation may appear in any area of the body, these commonly appear on the faces and stomachs.
Signs and Symptoms
- Typically occurs on the face
- Patches are symmetrical
- Patches usually appear on the forehead, chin, cheeks, and bridge of the nose
- Brown patches on the skin, neck, and forearms
Causes of skin hyperpigmentation
Most people will start experiencing pigmentation on their skins as they age. This is due to the excess production of melanin. But at a times, this melanin can go awry leading to hyperpigmentation.
Treating this condition will mean that you need to know the root cause of hyperpigmentation. If you wonder what could be the main cause of the disorder, then this article will be addressing some of the causes.
1. Genetics
Individuals from certain ethnic and racial groups will have a darker skin tone. They are prone to hyperpigmentation since dark skin is an indicator of more melanin production. This could ultimately cause skin darkening.
2. Excess UV Exposure
Basking in the sun is very ideal for your skin. But when the exposure is excess then this can really damage the skin. UV rays can thus cause inflammation and rashes that could lead to hyperpigmentation.
You can, therefore, choose using a sunblock, to prevent tanning. Though, this will not provide your skin a shield from the long term harmful effects of the UV rays.
3. Poor diet
What you eat will always affect your skin. Lack of vitamin B9 or folic acid in your daily diet could cause skin hyperpigmentation. Consider eating foods such as dark green vegetables. These could include lentils, beans, chickpeas, dried legumes, spinach, and broccoli.
All these are rich in Vitamin B9 and folic to help in the prevention of hyperpigmentation.
4. Hormonal Imbalance
The root cause of post-pregnancy hyperpigmentation is a hormonal imbalance. When one is pregnant, the progesterone and estrogen levels increase. This will lead to the excess production of melanin which eventually causes hyperpigmentation known as Melasma.
5. Abrasive Treatments
The skin around the face and other body parts is usually very prone to damages and are highly sensitive. The abrasive treatments cause inflammation on the skin thus leading to excess melanin production.
Also, when you wrongly remove the hairs under your armpits this could trigger an inflammatory reaction. It will lead to hyperpigmentation and skin darkening
6. Certain Medications
When you take some medications like chemotherapeutic drugs and non-steroidal drugs these could cause hormonal imbalance. Also, hormone medications, anti-seizure drugs, antibiotics, and topical retinoids could lead to an increase in melanocytes.
This thus leads to the excess melanin production which will cause skin hyperpigmentation.
7. Allergic reactions
When one has an allergy to certain foods like gluten, shellfish, and peanuts, this could cause inflammation and skin irritation. The most common causes of hyperpigmentation. Also, when you have an allergy to some plants such as poison ivy and bug bites, this could cause skin inflammation.
Therefore, always be cautious of what you take to avoid allergic reactions.
How to Treat Hyperpigmentation
Topical medicine. Essential in lightening the dark spots, they include;
1. Chemical Peels
Even clinical trials, chemical peels have proven to be effective when it comes to treating hyperpigmentation. The glycolic peels, therefore, are among the best chemical peels which are most effective and sage in treating hyperpigmentation
2. Hydroquinone
It is very effective in the reduction of the melisma hyperpigmentation. Also, it will help prevent any further discoloration. However, in pregnant women, this medicine is usually not recommended.
3. Kojic Acid
It is a bleaching agent that is highly non-toxic. It gives extreme results when it comes to lightening the dark spots. More so, it helps prevent further discoloration that may be due to melanin production
4. Retinoic Acid
Both peels and retinoids act on the dark skin in a similar way. They both will lighten the spots and disperse the melanin pigments
Conclusion
Hyperpigmentation is not a life-threatening condition, but it can cause extensive enhancing deformities that become a psychosocial burden. Its treatments are very much limited and thus some of the people with the condition have not been able to treat it.
Therefore, that moment you realize the signs of skin hyperpigmentation on your skin act fast. you will need to incorporate the skin pigmentation products in your skincare regime. Brands such as Melblok will always offer you the best pigmentation creams. With these creams, you will be guaranteed of results within a shorter span of time.
Addressing the problem before it starts developing is the best approach. Don’t wait for the scars to be that large, use the creams along with the other skincare products on a daily basis.
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