Author: Neil Roth
Source: ezinearticles.com
In this article I will tell you exactly what skin pigmentation is and how to treat it. I will also tell you different types of skin pigmentation disorder that are very common. Before I start explaining about skin pigmentation let me tell you how pigmentation actually takes place on our skin. We all know melanin is the pigment determining factor in our skin.
In fact melanin level in our skin not only decides the pigment of our skin it also gives color to the iris of our eyes. But what determines the level of melanin our skin? Well it depends on our genes and race. It also depends on the level of sun exposure. The level of melanin in our skin increases when skin is exposed to the sun. This is a biological process to protect the skin from the damaging UV rays.
Reasons for Skin Pigmentation
So what factors cause skin pigmentation disorder in the first place? Many factors have been declared as culprit for causing skin pigmentation problem. Sometimes it is due to allergic reaction of some kind of medication and at other times it is due to hormonal imbalance or change in the body. Over exposure to the harsh ultra violet ray of the sun is a mostly common causative factor in skin pigmentation disorder.
Different Types of Skin Pigmentation
Now that you know what is skin pigmentation disorder is and what causes it, let us have a look at most commonly found skin disorder type according to the intensity of pigmentation.
Hyper pigmentation:
This skin condition results when our body produces too much melanin. The result is darker skin tone. This normally happens due to prolonged over exposure to the sun ray. It can also happen as a reaction to any kind of medication.
Hypo pigmentation:
When the body does not produce sufficient melanin the result is hypo pigmentation. A typical example is when a wound heals sometimes the affected area loses pigmentation and the result is white patch on the skin.
Lichen Simplex Chronicus:
This is a skin condition that results in severe itching and this in turn turns the skin dark and thick in patches.
Vitiligo:
Vitiligo can be said to be another case of hypo pigmentation. Only in this case it is a kind of skin disease. This happens when the skin loses the pigment producing cells resulting in white patches. The peculiarity of this skin disorder is that it is more common in people with dark skin.
Albinism:
When a person has albinism his complexion is pale and his hair is white or yellow and eyes are usually light gray. There is no cure for albinism. A person with albinism has special need for sunscreen lotion to protect against sun burn and skin cancer.
Melasma:
This is a hyper pigmentation disorder. It is most commonly due to hormonal imbalance and sun exposure. It is also known as chloasma. It appears as dark patches on upper lip, cheeks, forehead and sometimes on arms and necks too. This skin condition can be treated with over the counter or prescription medicines. The treatment actually depends on the severity of pigmentation.
Solar Lentigo:
This is commonly known as sun spot, age spot and also as liver spot. They usually appear on the body parts exposed to sun like face and arms. By the way liver spot has nothing to do with liver. But yes, these are called age spots for a reason. These appear mostly on elderly people who have been exposed to the sun a lot without the protection of sunscreen lotion.
But whatever may be the type of skin pigment disorder it is really a beauty concern. There are many treatments for this disorder. Some go for cosmetic products while others look for solution in prescription medicines. Some out of desperation look for surgical procedures to treat these skin pigment problems. But do you know some simple cost effective natural way for skin pigmentation treatment? If your answer is negative you must check out this article on melasma treatment for some really stunning and revealing ways to treat skin pigment disorder.