Pigment spots

Pigment spots, wherever they appear, primarily bother a person because they are unattractive. However, any dyschromia (change in skin color) may indicate deep pathological processes occurring in the body. It is known that the skin is an external indicator of the internal state of organs and systems. Uniform in structure and color, the skin is a rarity today, perhaps due to unfavorable environmental factors, perhaps for other reasons. Before fighting pigmentation and such a condition as pigment spots, it is necessary to find out what role pigments play and what their increase or decrease indicates.

Causes pigmented patches

Pigment spots caused by natural or physiologically normal factors are not a cause for concern. Such types of pigmentation include the following:

• Freckles - translated from Greek - solar pigment spots or ephelides. Usually ephelides are a hereditary phenomenon, passed down from generation to generation. They are typical for fair-skinned people with light, red, chestnut hair. Freckles most often appear under the influence of ultraviolet light, and in winter they fade. These pigment spots first appear on areas of skin exposed to the sun, but can also be spread throughout the body.
• Hyperpigmentation in the form of chloasma. These are clearly defined pigment spots of various colors. The favorite place for chloasma is the face, less often the hands and genitals. Chloasma can be caused by physiological reasons - pregnancy, age-related changes and do not pose a threat to health. In the summer, chloasma becomes brighter, in winter it fades and sometimes disappears altogether. Chloasma in older people is called lentigo, it is denser in structure, extensive in size.
• Hypopigmentation is a hereditary skin condition that manifests itself in white depigmented areas. Vitiligo has not yet been classified as a specific category of pigment disorders. On the one hand, vitiligo does not pose a health threat, and the etiology of this dyschromia is still unclear. On the other hand, the treatment of some internal diseases in some people allows for persistent repigmentation and uniform skin coloring.

Pigment spots caused by pathological factors and are a sign of an obvious or hidden disease. These include the following types:

• Pigment spots that compensate for skin trauma or exposure to a chemically aggressive substance. Melanin tries to protect the damaged area by coloring it for protective purposes. This is how the damaged area is temporarily protected from exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
• Keratosis caused by seborrheic disease. Keratosis resembles specific growths, often confused with common warts.
• Benign nevi or moles. They are small brown pigment spots, most often denser in structure and slightly raised above the surface of the skin. Moles themselves are not a disease, but any, even the smallest, mole is a potentially dangerous formation that can transform into melanoma under the influence of various factors.
• Liver chloasma, characteristic of pathology of the bile ducts and liver. These are pigment spots located on the cheeks, often spreading to the neck. They are often called "liver butterfly".
• Skin cancer - lentigo of malignant etiology. Most often, these pigment spots are uneven in contours, constantly changing in size and color. Such pigment spots should be examined immediately so as not to miss the time.

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Pathogenesis

Skin tone depends on the amount and ratio of four main skin pigments:

• Melanin is a coloring pigment produced in the deep layers of the skin. The basal structures of the skin contain specific cells - melanocytes, which produce melanin. If the skin structure is not damaged in terms of conductivity of the layers, then the melanocytes quickly move from the depths to the surface layer of the skin. If conductivity is impaired or the coloring pigment is insufficient, the upper layer of the skin is depigmented.
• Carotene is a pigment that gives a yellowish tint to the skin. Carotene is produced by keratinocytes, which are located in the upper layers of the skin - the epidermis. If there were no carotene, then, obviously, all people on earth belonged to the Negroid race.
• Red pigment is a pigment containing hemoglobin. It is found in small quantities in the capillaries of the skin.
• Blue pigment, slightly lightening the skin. Hemoglobin is also responsible for the blue pigment, but it no longer contains oxygen, but is destroyed and restored again in the veins.

Most often, skin pigmentation and age spots depend on the level of melanin production; all other pigments do not play such an important role in skin coloring.

Excessive pigmentation of the skin mainly occurs due to powerful ultraviolet radiation. This explains the specific skin tone of people living in hot countries. Melanin is a genetically determined protective factor for them. In other people, any exposure to sunlight provokes the production of a certain additional portion of melanin, so the skin acquires a darker shade - a tan. Melanin can also be activated due to pathogenic factors - diseases, poisoning, metabolic disorders.

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Treatment pigmented patches

The first commandment for a person seeking to neutralize pigment spots is protection from ultraviolet radiation.

The second piece of advice is to maintain a balanced diet and provide the body with the necessary amount of vitamins and microelements.

The third general piece of advice, which relates to disease prevention in principle, and not just to getting rid of external defects, is getting rid of harmful, destructive habits and following the basic rules of a healthy lifestyle, concerning physical activity, normal sleep and stress resistance.

Cosmetic procedures, of which there are now a great many, effectively cope with the neutralization of such features of the body as pigment spots. Procedures should be carried out only after consultation with a dermatologist and, as a rule, in courses.

Pigment spots are often a signal and a reason for a comprehensive examination of the body, since the skin is a reflection of the work of all human organs and systems. That is why, when caring for the appearance of the skin, one should not forget about the internal factors that provoke the appearance of pigmentation.