Do you have dark spots on your face that you keep covering up with makeup? You are not alone! Excessive pigmentation is an extremely common and usually harmless skin condition that occurs when your skin produces too much melanin and we refer to this as hyperpigmentation.
Hyperpigmentation is one of the most common skin concerns we see at Flawless Med Spa in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Luckily, we have several treatments for erasing these annoying skin spots and lightening the skin.
What Is Hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation is a condition in which patches of skin become darker than the surrounding skin. These dark spots can be the result of an overproduction of melanin by skin cells. Melanin is the pigment that produces your skin, eye, and hair color. When too much melanin is created, it can lead to uneven pigmentation. There are several triggers that can stimulate the overproduction of melanin. The major culprits are excessive sun, hormonal changes, pregnancy, and genetics. For some people, this is how they heal, they form pigment. We refer to this as Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation and commonly see this with acne.
Types of Hyperpigmentation
Age spots, acne scars, and melasma are some of the most common types of hyperpigmentation that we see at Flawless Med Spa.
Age Spots
Age spots or sun spots are small brown spots that usually appear on areas frequently exposed to the sun, such as your face, hands, arms, and legs. They can also be called “liver spots,” but they have nothing at all to do with your liver. Even though this kind of hyperpigmentation is more common in older adults, young people can get them too if they get a lot of sun.
Melasma
Melasma is a chronic pigmentary condition characterized by brown-tinted patches on the face, particularly on the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. The condition is triggered by changes in hormone levels and can be made worse by pregnancy, excess sun exposure, or oral contraceptives. Melasma is more common in women than in men.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) is also known as Pigmented Scars. Some examples often include overexposure to the sun, acne, and trauma to the area. Essentially the inflammation causes melanocytes (pigment producing cells) to send melanin or pigment to the skin’s surface to protect it. This pigment can form spots such as acne spots or blotchiness throughout areas of the face. Sometimes PIH can mimic melasma, a type of hyperpigmentation that rests deeper in the skin’s tissue. Many people who attempt to treat melasma after various aggressive peeling lasers and chemical peels may actually have PIH resting on top of their melasma. This is usually because both can exist together. However, the good news is both can be treated the same way.
