Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation Melasma or chloasma or (Greek χλόασμα, chloasma or μέλασμα, melasma ) referred to in medicine generally an excessive deposition of melanin in the skin. May be affected parts of the skin or the entire skin surface. Hyperpigmentation is one of the secondary phenomena occurring in skin diseases (so-called secondary efflorescence ).

The root causes is to distinguish whether the disease is caused by endogenous, ie formed in his own organism, or exogenous, that is supplied from the outside, pigments. Endogenous pigments include melanin itself, hemosiderin, various bile pigments or carotene. A typical example of an exogenous pigment is carbon, which is found in many tattoo inks.

A closer definition of the hyperpigmentation is caused by activation of melanocytes browning the skin. These are mainly activated by the sunlight, but also by various enzymes such as prostaglandins or interleukin -1 in the context of local inflammation. This form of hyperpigmentation is also called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

The so-called mask of pregnancy is due to hormones. Not all women are affected by it. Pregnancy hormones are also responsible for the linea nigra, a dark line that runs from the navel to the pubic bone. Both the mask and the pregnancy stretch marks can gradually fade away after delivery. By sunlight, this skin pigments are even darker. The selectively increased melanin production can be specifically disrupted by the drug Rucinol.

The opposite of hyperpigmentation is called with hypopigmentation, that is, the spots are bright in the case or even white.