Pigmentation disorders can be frustrating to deal with, especially when they appear on your face. Fortunately, there are a number of treatment options that have been developed by dermatologists to help patients get rid of unwanted pigmentation. Here we will take a look at the different types of pigmentation disorders, what causes them and how to deal with them.

What Is Pigmentation?

The first thing you need to know is what pigmentation actually is. It is not a disease or an illness, but rather it is just a change in skin tone. The most common types of pigmentation disorders include melasma, age spots and freckles. All of these are caused by the overproduction of melanin in the body. Melanin is the pigment in our skin that gives it colour. If there is too much melanin being produced in one area, then this will cause an area of hyperpigmentation (too much colour). If there isn’t enough melanin being produced in one area then this will cause hypopigmentation (too little colour).

What Causes Pigmentation Disorders?

There are lots of different factors that can cause pigmentation disorders. Some of the most common ones include sun exposure, hormonal changes during pregnancy and certain medications like antibiotics and birth

If you have an interest in skincare, then you may want to know about the different types of pigmentation disorders and how to treat them. Most people are not aware that there are many different kinds of pigmentation disorders, so it can help to understand what each one is so that you can decide which treatment option is best for you.

Freckles-A freckle is a small brown spot on the skin that is caused by overproduction of melanin. They can be found anywhere on the body, but they usually appear on the face, chest, back and arms. Freckles can be treated with creams or lotions that contain ingredients that stop melanin production, but these products are not always effective.

Melasma-Melasma is a type of pigmentation disorder in which dark patches develop on the skin. It affects women more often than men and usually occurs during pregnancy or as a result of taking certain medications. The patches usually develop on the cheeks and around the eyes and mouth, but they can also appear on the forehead, chin and nose. They may also occur on the neck, shoulders and upper back.

Moles-Moles are small growths on the skin that look like warts or moles, but they do

Skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin. Your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin. Special cells in the skin make melanin. When these cells become damaged or unhealthy, it affects melanin production. Some pigmentation disorders affect just patches of skin. Others affect your entire body. Many pigmentation disorders are caused by sun exposure. Pigmentation disorders can be frustrating to deal with, but they’re usually harmless and often go away on their own or respond well to treatment.

There are many types of pigmentation disorders: melasma, vitiligo, albinism, and solar lentigines are just a few examples. Let’s take a closer look at each one and learn about their causes and treatments.

There are various types of pigmentation disorders. These includes:

• Melasma

Melasma is a common skin problem. It causes brown to gray-brown patches, usually on the face. Most people get it on their cheeks, bridge of their nose, forehead, chin, and above their upper lip. It also can appear on other parts of the body that get lots of sun, such as the forearms and neck.

This condition is not dangerous. But some people don’t like how it looks. It can be hard to cover up.

You’re more likely to get melasma if you:

• Are pregnant or taking birth control pills

• Have a family history of melasma

• Have olive or dark skin

Melasma is often called the “mask of pregnancy” because so many women get it while they’re expecting. But men also can develop this condition.

Have you ever wondered why some people have unevenly pigmented skin? Discoloration in skin tone is often due to a condition known as hyperpigmentation. This is a condition that occurs when the body produces too much melanin, causing patches of skin to become darker than the surrounding areas.

Causes of Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation can occur from many different causes. The most common causes include:

Sun damage

Melasma

Acne scars

Skin injuries or burns

The cause of your specific hyperpigmentation will determine which treatment options are best for you. However, there are several treatments that can be applied to all causes of hyperpigmentation:

Pigmentation is the coloring of a person’s skin. When someone has a pigmentation disorder, it means there is a change in the color of their skin. Skin color changes can be localised or widespread and may be due to disorders of pigment cells (melanocytes) or due to disease of the blood vessels (eg, in scleroderma) or due to deposition of abnormal amounts of normally occurring pigments.

The most common pigmentation disorders are :

Albinism: People with albinism usually have very fair skin and hair, but they also have impaired vision. There are different types and subtypes of albinism, but they all involve problems with the production of melanin, which is the pigment responsible for normal skin, hair, and eye colour.

Vitiligo: Vitiligo is a disorder in which white patches of skin appear on different parts of the body. This happens because the cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning. Vitiligo affects people of all skin types, but it may be more noticeable in people with darker skin. The condition is not life-threatening or contagious. It may be hereditary and can affect just one part of the body (localized) or many different parts of the body (

“The word pigment comes from the Latin word pigmentum meaning “colour”; it is used in both art and biology. In biology, pigment is any coloured compound responsible for colour of an organism. A pigment molecule can be found in many different colours such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.

A slice of human skin showing melanin pigmentation.

Pigments are materials that absorb light of particular wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum and reflect back to our eyes the colour we see.

Pigment molecules are usually organic compounds, though sometimes inorganic compounds are used depending upon their properties (e.g., titanium dioxide). They may be soluble or insoluble; they may have biological activity (such as vitamin A) or not; they may be natural or synthetic.”