Concern

Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is the name for when the skin develops darker areas of pigment to your usual skin tone. It is caused by the over-production of melanin, which is the pigment that determines the colour of our skin, eyes and hair. Age spots and sun spots are both examples of hyperpigmentation caused by ageing and exposure to the UV rays.

Melanin is produced by melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the top layer of our skin. These cells are very sensitive, responding to the increased sun when we’re on holiday by producing more melanin, which gives you a tan. However, they are also sensitive to lots of other factors in their environment and will over or underproduce melanin in response to inflammation (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), hormones, excess sun exposure and some medications. When we are tackling hyperpigmentation in-clinic, we will target this process to smooth out skin tone and reduce the appearance of areas of hyperpigmentation.

In darker skin tones, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is particularly common. In PIH, overproduction of melanin can result from anything that triggers inflammatory processes in the skin, which includes acne and any skin injuries, and is usually temporary. However, in darker skin types this type of hyperpigmentation is generally more intense and persists much longer than in lighter skin types.