Your skin is your largest organ, as it covers your entire body. It’s not uncommon for each person to experience an abnormal color or texture on their skin’s surface at least once. That said, you might not understand exactly what it is or what’s causing the issue. Follow along to learn more about hyperpigmentation and what the dark spots on your skin are.
What Is Hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation is a relatively common skin condition that makes certain spots on your skin appear darker than the rest. Interestingly, extra melanin in the skin creates spots that may be pink, grey, brown, black, or red. Although these spots don’t hurt or itch, they can make people feel self-conscious about their appearance. That said, that isn’t the end of the story—learning the causes, treatments, and preventions can help you make sense of this condition.
What Causes It?
As previously mentioned, excess melanin in the skin causes hyperpigmentation, but how does it happen? Skin cells might produce too much melanin when something damages them or makes them unhealthy. As a result, the melanin can clump and cause dark spots on the skin’s surface. That said, many factors can contribute to increased melanin:
- Adrenal disorders
- Hormonal imbalances
- Injury or inflammation of the skin
- Medications
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Thyroid disorders
- Sun damage
Diagnosis and Treatment
Although hyperpigmentation spots are relatively easy to determine, your doctor might order blood testing, a skin biopsy, and examine your medical history to diagnose the spots. Once they determine the cause of the dark spot in hyperpigmentation, they might suggest a few different treatment options, such as applying a cream, taking a vitamin to combat a deficiency, or getting off of the medication that causes it.
Preventative Measures
Though treatment is an option, it can’t hurt to look into preventative measures before it even happens. That said, be sure to limit your sun exposure and use acne-safe sunscreen when you do go out. Additionally, caring for your overall health with adequate hydration and dietary needs can also help prevent skin concerns.
Now that you know more about hyperpigmentation and the dark spots on your skin, you can move forward accordingly. Although hyperpigmentation isn’t a cause for too much concern, it may impact your confidence.