The Basics of Hyperpigmentation: What is it and How it is Treated

Hyperpigmentation affects many individuals, but the reasons vary widely. It's all quite complicated, but in essence, it is a condition where the melanin production is too high in one area of skin. Thus, you get more color in a hyperpigmented area than you need.

In some cases, popping pimples launches a hyperpigmentation attack by drawing blood to the surface of the pore. That's the key reason why doctors tell you not to pop your zits. Doing so causes eight to twelve months of red marks '" or permanent scars '" wherever you popped your skin.

Sometimes this condition is brought on by a disease. Melasma is a common pigmentation condition that creates brownish patches of skin in areas like the face, neck and chest. Sunlight often irritates this condition; thus, doctors instruct melasma patients to wear plenty of strong sunscreen every day, whether or not they're going to be in the sun.

Melasma often occurs during or right after a pregnancy. That's why many people call melasma the "mask of pregnancy."

You can treat hyperpigmentation with topical creams in many cases. Hydroquinone is probably the most popular, widely-known drug for this use. It works as a bleaching agent over limited areas of the skin. Patients generally need to take it for more than one month to see results.

Sun spots are also a sure sign of this too much pigment. Some doctors treat sun spots with hydroquinone while others recommend laser treatments or chemical peels to resurface the skin and encourage new pigment production.

The good news is that hyperpigmentation is generally benign. Things like sun spots, acne red marks and melasma might annoy you when you look in the mirror, but they won't hurt you, and they certainly won't kill you.

Don't try to take care of this problem on your own. Use a bleaching cream at the direction of your dermatologist, or request a clinical treatment to help lighten the marks.

Source:

WebMD.com: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/hyperpigmentation-hypopigmentation