Hyperpigmentation is a common, usually harmless condition in which patches of skin become darker in color than the normal surrounding skin.
Types of Hyperpigmentation
PIH
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is a darkening of the skin that persists after an inflammatory skin condition. Purple, brown, or tan-sometimes with a blue or grey tint-flat spots or patches appear on the skin surface.
Melasma is one form of hyperpigmentation, and it may sometimes share an appearance similar to other forms of the condition. For example, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a form of hyperpigmentation that results from inflammation or trauma to the skin.
Periorbital hyperpigmentation (POH) or perioral hyperpigmentation is identified based on visual assessment by a physician. Sometimes as a person ages, the eye area can appear more “sunken in” as fatty deposits shift and the skin texture changes.
Hyperpigmentation of the skin is when a portion of the skin is darker than the other surrounding areas. This occurs due to melanin. Melanin is the pigment that is produced by cells called melanocytes.
Some types of hyperpigmentation, for example melasma, will present a specific appearance. On the other hand, other types of hyperpigmentation may be non-specific. One example is the hyperpigmentation of the intimate area.
Lentigo (plural lentigines) is the formal medical term for what many people informally call “liver spots” because of their dark brown color. Lentigines are a form of hyperpigmentation and, although they are not considered dangerous.