Pigmented spots are the formation of oval, flat areas on the skin that have a darker color than the skin itself. The main cause of the appearance of pronounced spots is considered to be the aging process and skin insolation, changes in the hormonal background of the body, the influence of certain medicines and cosmetics. The appearance of age spots is a very common phenomenon.
Article content:
Freckles
Age-related pigment spots
Large pigment spots
Birthmark pigment spots
Hypopigmentation of the skin
Causes of pigment spots
Treatment of age spots
Pigmented spots
Numerous formations are mainly a cosmetic problem. This is also the reason for the appearance of pigment spots. It is also often associated with such phenomena as coarsening, dry skin, vascular protrusion, wrinkles. Often they look like skin neoplasms that are malignant in nature.
Five pigments are responsible for the color of the skin in a healthy person, such as: melanoid, reduced hemoglobin, carotene, melanin and oxyhemoglobin. When their concentration in the skin is disturbed or one of the pigments is simply missing, then all this is a signal for the formation of pigment spots of all sizes and shapes. Melanin plays a leading role in skin coloring. This pigment is a barrier against excessive ultraviolet radiation. When melanin accumulates excessively in the skin, spots appear. The causes of the appearance can have both an innate character and an acquired one.
Freckles
Freckles (lat. Ephelides) are often found in people with very fair skin. They arise due to excessive prolonged exposure to the bright sun, as a result of which the pigment melanin accumulates in some areas of the skin. This causes the appearance of these formations. The intensity of the color of freckles may increase or decrease depending on the time of year. Most often they can be observed in such areas as: the face, sometimes the ears and the skin of the chest and arms. Freckles vary in color and size. There are both very small, dot-sized, light-colored pigment spots, and large brown freckles.
Pigmented spots — freckles by their nature are an uneven distribution of tanning. As a result, when cold weather comes, they sometimes tend to disappear completely. The intensity of their coloring decreases over time, due to the fact that the skin begins to distribute ultraviolet radiation more evenly. Freckles do not threaten health in any way and are not considered a problem by cosmetologists and dermatologists. But sometimes some people experience psychological discomfort from the very appearance and presence of freckles. In this case, it is best to discolor them and use sunscreens with a high UV filter. It must be remembered that such creams and lotions are applied to the whole body, not just to the face area.
Pigmented spots, like freckles, are shallow, for this reason, chemical peeling with acids (fruit and milk) will help to finally remove them. But it is worth remembering that cosmetic actions do not affect the photosensitivity of the skin, so freckles have a chance to appear again. The use of sunscreens can interfere with this process.
Age-related pigment spots
Lentigo (Latin lentigiles seniles) are pigment spots that appear mainly in elderly people. Often these spots are also called “senile ripples”. Usually, age-related pigment spots occur in areas that have been exposed to strong solar radiation. Also, age-related pigment spots of the lentigo type occur at the sites of concentration of freckles and are mainly localized on the skin of the face, hands and forearms, chest area and upper back. The first occurrences of lentigo are most often manifested at the age of about 40 years. They are considered by cosmetologists to be an obvious cosmetic problem, since they age women outwardly. When menopause occurs, due to hormonal disorders, the frequency of occurrence and the amount of lentigo increases. Decorative cosmetics weakly masks pigment spots of such etymology. Only mechanical and chemical procedures, the purpose of which is the detachment of the epidermis, can affect the intensity of the manifestation of lentigo. The use of aromatic retinoids is also effective. Thanks to them, skin cells recover, and their activity is normalized.
Large pigment spots
Chloasmas or melasmas (Latin chloasma) are large pigment spots that appear on the skin of the face, most often in young women. These spots are characterized by irregular outlines and a tendency to merge with each other, which sometimes leads to the formation of one whole large pigment spot of unusual shape. Partially pigmented large spots can also affect the skin of the neck and ears. Remarkably, the shoulders and decollete area are usually never affected. The causes of the patient’s problem are quite diverse. Prolonged exposure to sunlight only aggravates the patient’s situation, since after a long stay in the sun, pigment spots tend to increase. The main reason for the appearance of spots on the skin of this etymology are all kinds of hormonal disorders, such as: the onset of menstruation, pregnancy, lactation, menopause, as well as taking oral contraceptives and hormonal drugs in general.
To provoke the appearance of formations such as chloasma can also: some cosmetics, the use of hormone-containing ointments, aromatic essential oils applied directly to the skin. Most often, after stopping the use of drugs or after childbirth, chloasmas disappear on their own. The pigment spot is no longer present on the woman’s skin. The cancellation of the corresponding drugs is one of the methods of treating spots.
The disappearance of formations is facilitated by cosmetic procedures that are aimed at exfoliating and whitening the skin. All of the above greatly speeds up the process of getting rid of and prevents the appearance of stains.
Birthmark pigment spots
Birthmarks or nevi (Latin naevus) are small areas of hyperpigmented skin, which are most often a medical, not a cosmetic problem. Nevi appear in the same way as any other spots. The main cause of nevi is also the uneven distribution of melanin. Melantocytes become outwardly very noticeable, the color of moles varies from light beige to dark brown. Nevi, which are innate in nature, exist in all people on the planet. But if their number exceeds the norm, or they tend to grow and increase in size, then this is considered one of the signals that a pigment spot can be reborn into an oncological process of the skin.
For this reason, nevi that are located in places of frequent injury or on the face need to be removed. Excessive amounts of these pigment spots or any changes in their shape or size are also considered a reason for their removal. Laser surgery, the method of removal with liquid nitrogen or diathermocoagulation is most often used. The good news is that after the process of removing age spots, scars or other cosmetic defects is usually not observed.
Hypopigmentation of the skin
Vitiligo and albinism are quite rare pathologies of the skin. Therefore, formations of such etymology are hardly treated. People who have completely or partially absent melantocytes, or in conditions where melantocytes do not produce melanin, are strictly prohibited from staying in direct sunlight for a long time. Discolored spots also need to be protected from insolation. Also, people suffering from these pathologies should use contact lenses that protect against ultraviolet light. The whole process of therapy serves to improve the quality of life, for the reason that sunburn of hypopigmented skin areas is often very deep, and intense and prolonged exposure to direct sunlight on open skin can trigger oncological processes in it.
Causes of pigment spots
The main cause of the appearance of age spots is considered to be a long and intense effect of ultraviolet rays on the skin. This phenomenon is due to the fact that ultraviolet radiation stimulates the production of melanin in the body. The appearance of pigment spots is caused by metabolic processes, as well as various diseases of the digestive system and liver. Among the diseases and disorders of the endocrine system, the appearance of spots is caused by: pituitary oncological diseases, pituitary insufficiency, as well as Basedova disease. In this case, the spots are characterized by areas of both hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation. Frequent stressful situations, disorders on the neuropsychic basis (also by the type of hysteroid neuroses), vitamin C deficiency may well affect the violation of pigmentation of the skin, and, as a result, spots are formed. Naturally, treatment should begin with the elimination of the underlying diseases.
Pigmented spots that occur during pregnancy most often disappear shortly after childbirth, but there are cases when they disappear only after a long period of time.
Treatment of age spots
The appearance of age spots, especially those that tend to increase and grow, is not a sign of healthy skin. For this reason, a consultation with a doctor is required before the process of their discoloration. If he discovers conditions or diseases that are the cause of age spots, he will prescribe the necessary treatment or correction. Only after completely getting rid of all diseases, you can begin discoloration of pigment spots. It is not recommended to discolor the formations at home, since unprofessional means and methods do not create the proper effect, for the reason that the depth of penetration is small, and they have an effect only on the upper layers of the skin.
If there are a large number of pigment spots and they are all shallow (for example, freckles), then chemical peeling is perfect for removing them. Fruit acid, acting on clusters of melanocytes, evenly discolors the skin. At the same time, the spots disappear, and the skin itself becomes velvety.
There is also a mechanical effect on the skin by dermabrasion. Microminiaturization has some similarities with chemical peeling, but in this procedure the active substance acts pointwise under vacuum. This method is great for removing small-sized, but rather deep pigment spots.
With such a method as mesotherapy, the active substance is injected into the depth of the tissues. After that, the pigment spots are lightened and the general condition of the skin improves. Such methods of treatment as photo-removal and laser removal are usually resorted to for deep pigment spots.
After all of the above treatment measures, the general condition of the skin returns to normal, but there remains a need to use sunscreen cosmetics and prevent diseases in time in order to reduce the chance of recurrence of areas with altered pigmentation.
