Skin pigmentation is one of the common issues that our clinic deals with, as many clients want to deal with various marks that are notably lighter or darker than the rest of their faces.
Before starting any laser treatment in Brighton, it is useful to know that there are several different causes for pigmentation issues, which means the treatments required will vary.
A very common cause of pigmentation causes is hyperpigmentation. This is a specific issue for white people. Everyone has some pigment called melanin in their skin, with Asian people having more than white people and black people having the greatest amount as it helps protect against UV radiation in hot, sunny climates.
However, sometimes it can be present in excess amounts in specific areas causing a blotchy appearance with dark patches.
This can be the result of past skin damage, not least sunburn. Accidents that have cause scars or burns can also do this, but genetics and hormonal changes may also be a factor. Apart from laser treatment, skin peels can also be used.
A related condition is hypopigmentation, which is where lighter patches appear against darker skin, while depigmentation involves white patches appearing with almost no pigment at all. These latter conditions tend to occur more in people with darker skin, as otherwise they would not be so prominent.
The role played by genetics can be particularly notable. Melanin itself comes in two forms, eumelanin or pheomelanin. The balance of these determines your skin colour, with 125 different genes influencing this. Eumelanin is the dark coloured pigment, while pheomelanin is actually yellow, does little to protect the skin against UCV radiation, and can cause lighter patches as well as increasing the dangers of oxygen radicals when exposed to UV radiation.
Of the various skin conditions, hypopigmentation is most likely to be caused by injury such as sunburn or accidents rather than genetics, although skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis can also be the cause. One genetic issue that can be a cause is albinism, although those who are fully albino will have white hair and white skin with no melanin.
Depigmentation is more likely to be down to a genetic condition. A common one is vitiligo, which tends to affect those with dark skin and involves large patches of paler skin forming. This condition was cited by the late Michael Jackson as a reason for his changed complexion, although he was never seen in public with the familiar blotchy skin, which (wrongly) led to some questioning this.
A further form of pigmentation that can appear is sunspots. These are prompted by excessive exposure to hot sun and can be treated with laser surgery.
The fact that there are several different pigmentation issues that can be tackled with laser treatments and others that can be helped in different ways is good news. But alongside that, it is always important to take the best care of your skin to ensure you keep it as healthy as possible – and seek medical attention if required.