Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Pimples and Wrinkles

Are you sure that the color of your skin is the right one? Do you occasionally or seasonally have skin colour variation? There will be no beauty if the skin color keeps changing. This is one of the biggest concerns to people globally who are very mindful of the beauty of their skin. This concern has triggered the home of skin care solution (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury) to come up with this informative article. In this write up, we will tell you what pigmentation is and also make known to you the effects of pigmentation disorders to the skin. While appreciating that skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin, your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin. Therefore pigmentation simply means that the coloring effect. Effects of pigmentation disorders to the skin are real and unhealthy. As I had said your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin made from special cells in the skin. When these cells are damaged or becomes unhealthy, it affects melanin production. It is important to note that some pigmentation disorders will affect just patches of skin while others will affect your whole body.

Therefore those who have darker skin produce more melanin compared to those with lighter skin. Besides that pregnancy, Addison’s disease, and sun exposure all can make your skin darker. In the meantime Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of light skin. Albinism is a genetic condition affecting a person’s skin. A person with albinism may have no color, lighter than normal skin color, or patchy missing skin color. Infections, blisters and burns can also cause lighter skin. By the way skin pigmentation disorders and irregularities are very common today necessitating the need to adequately understand the effects of pigmentation disorder to the skin.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Hyperpigmentation Disorders

Hyperpigmentation problems are particularly prevalent and many are associated with aging. While the triggers may vary, hyperpigmentation occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) become more active than normal, which leads to the production and deposition of more pigment (melanin). Conversely, hypopigmentation occurs when melanocytes are destroyed. Let us now consider some of the most common pigmentation problems as we progress into the discussion.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Age spots-sun spots (solar lentigines)

These are those conditions which are associated with aging, sun damage and, to a lesser degree, other forms of skin damage. Occasionally they are given a misleading name called liver spots since they are unrelated to the liver and in no way reflect liver function. Age spots colors varies from light brown to black and are mostly located in areas exposed to the sun like the hands, face, and arms. Nonetheless it must be noted that it is not very clear how the sun damage triggers age spots even though UV radiation produces mutations, local inflammation and other changes that increase local proliferation of melanocytes and activate melanin-producing genes. In most cases, age spots are harmless but may be cosmetically frustrating.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Freckles

• Freckles (ephelides) are small, pigmented spots containing more melanin than the surrounding skin.
• Freckles are not caused by aging or sun damage.
• As opposed to age spots, freckles tend to fade with age.
• Sun exposure, while not a cause of freckles, typically makes freckles much more prominent.
• Freckles are found mainly in fair skinned people and tend to run in families.
• The cause of freckles appears to be largely genetic.
• Freckles are not considered a skin disorder and are harmless and for this reason, some consider them a cosmetic nuisance.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Melasma and Chloasma

• Melasma is a condition characterized by increased tan-like skin pigmentation naturally having irregular, patchy scattering on the skin surface.
• Chloasma is a variant of melasma happening mainly in women and associated with increased levels of certain hormones.
• Chloasma may be triggered by pregnancy, oral contraceptives and occasionally other hormonal imbalances.

While we are appreciating that hormonal change are the most common cause of melasma and chloasma there are other factors which also plays a role. For instance, a blend of sun damage and certain ingredients found in deodorants, toiletry and other personal care products may result in melasma seemingly due to local sensitization of melanocytes. And yet again in some cases, melasma resolves on its own if the underlying hormonal imbalance is removed like for example when hormonal contraceptives are replaced by a non-hormonal method or after childbirth. If the cause is non-hormonal, avoiding sun exposure and reducing or eliminating suspect skin or body care products may improve melasma. In persistent cases, various methods of skin lightening may be used.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Hypo-pigmentation disorders

Hypo-pigmentation is far less common that hyper-pigmentation. Hypo-pigmentation occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) are either destroyed or stunned into inactivity. This generally occurs either due to serious skin damage like in the case of a burn or ablative laser resurfacing or due to an autoimmune disease where the immune system erroneously attacks melanocytes like in the case of vitiligo.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Prevention of pigmentation disorders

Most hyper-pigmentation problems are either caused or exacerbated by sun exposure. Therefore taking all the necessary sun protection is very important for preventing hyper-pigmentation. Other steps to avoid skin damage should also help. Women with history of chloasma may be able to prevent recurrence by using non-hormonal birth control methods. However before you take that direction, it will be very important that you bring that to the notice of your physician and balanced against the merits and the demerits of the non-hormonal alternatives. Finally this topic of pigmentation is very wide and because of the several coloring effects that come with it due to various factors, it will be very important that you schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today to help you understand the health of your skin for a better and sustainable glowing and healthy skin.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Pimples and Wrinkles