Skin Pigmentation

What is skin pigmentation and what causes it?

As we can see today, amongst the billions of people not all of us are the same. We may structurally look the same and have the same number of limbs but the similarities may as well end there. We are so unique such that no other person has the same dental formula as the other, nor can they have the same fingerprint. Each of us has our own signature in a way. We are different when it comes to the color of our eyes, hair and skin.

Focusing on the skin alone, we have variants although there seem to be some standards. It is usual for a person of ethnic or African decent to have dark skin while it is usual for a Caucasian to have lighter skin. Other races have a mixture of both in between. In our skins there is a pigment called melanin that gives the skin its color. More melanin would mean darker skin while less of it would be lighter skin. The amount of melanin you may have is genetically determined and can also be affected by how much exposure you have to the sun as the sun has darkening effects on the skin. Various illnesses or conditions may result if an imbalance of melanin were to occur.

Skin pigmentation is a condition that arises as a result of overproduction or underproduction of melanin. If you’ve ever noticed whenever you acquire a wound of sorts that area will never have the same color as it previously had. This is because the wounded area loses some of its melanin.

You may be asking yourself the question related to the causes of skin pigmentation problems such as age spots, liver spots and melasma. As mentioned earlier it may be affected by too much exposure to the sun. Then again, there are other factors which may cause pigmentation. One of them is a reaction to a drug. We may or may not know that we have allergies to certain drugs thus restricting us in their use but in the event that a reaction may occur, skin pigmentation or discoloration may occur as an effect. A hormonal imbalance in the body may also be the cause of too much melanin or too little of it being produced. Then there’s also the chance that some of the medications we’re put on while ill also cause adverse side effects like skin pigmentation.

You should always consult a doctor or skin specialist to determine what kind of skin pigmentation problem you are suffering from and they will advise of the most suitable way to treat it, and advise you of the pros and cons of the treatment options available to you.

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