Top 5 Things You Should Know about Skin Pigmentation Disorder

Have you ever thought about what makes the skin color of one person different from another? Well, every one of us has melanin, a black or brown pigment in our skin. This pigment makes all the difference between the colors of the skins of two different persons. The skin pigmentation disorder takes place when the production of melanin and melanosome transport becomes aberrant. If you are suffering from skin pigmentations for some time now, you should be aware of some of the important factors associated with it. Check the following section of this article to know more about this disorder.

Acquired Vs Inherited 

As the name suggests, the acquired disorders are some conditions that a person can develop throughout their lives. On the other hand, an inherent condition arises because of the genetic transmission that takes place during the birth of a child. In simpler words, an acquired skin pigmentation disorder is the one that was not present during the time of birth. On the other hand, an inherent skin pigmentation disorder indicates a genetic aberrancy.

Pathophysiology

The type, quality and the distribution of the pigment cells construct the color of our skin. Apart from creating our skin color, melanin also protects us from the damaging UV rays of the sun. Genetic factors, as well as the environmental factor, can change the way the transportation and production of the melanin of the skin happen. Some other biological processes, like pregnancy, can also affect the skin pigments.

Causes of Hyper or Hypo Pigmentation of Skin

Some of the internal and external processes can affect the complex process of melanin production and can result in the abnormal skin pigmentation. Internal processes, like endocrine dysfunctions and autoimmune etiologies, can affect the skin pigmentations as well. On the other hand, external processes like sun exposure or medicine can disrupt the melanin production process and cause some type of skin pigmentation disorder.

Epidemiology and Risks

The epidemiology of the acquired skin pigmentation disorders can vary widely depending on the association of the disease. Sometimes, even the infectious diseases cause skin pigmentation disorders in the patients. So, before starting treatment for skin pigmentation disorders, the doctors should make sure that the patient is not suffering from other such associated diseases that cause skin pigmentation.

Prevention

One of the most critical steps that people can take to prevent excessive exposure in the sun. Exposure can increase dark areas through the deposition of melanin. Most of the time, overexposure to the sun rays, can create chronic as well as acute pigmentary darkening of the skin. Other than this factor, the activation and proliferation of exposed melanocytes can also cause acute or chronic skin pigmentation disorder. Most of the time, the quality of the lives of the patients suffering from skin pigmentation disorder gets deteriorated.

The common skin pigmentation often appears on the face of the affected people which causes shaming, embarrassment, low self-esteem, anger, and depression. Most people worry that their condition is contagious and will worsen over time. That is why it is necessary to talk to the patients to understand their level of distress before taking any steps.

author

Dr. Hiranmayi Jha

MBBS, MS Surgery
MCH - Plastic Surgery
AIIMS Alumni
Ex-Associate Consultant in Max Saket
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author

Dr. Hiranmayi Jha

MBBS, MS Surgery
MCH - Plastic Surgery
AIIMS Alumni
Ex-Associate Consultant in Max Saket

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