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Areas of lighter or darker skin contrasting with your overall skin tone. While typically benign (non-cancerous), some people elect to treat abnormal skin pigmentation for cosmetic reasons.
What is it?
Skin color is determined by melanin, a pigment synthesized by specialized cells known as melanocytes. Melanin is accountable for your eye, hair and skin color. Areas of lightened or darkened skin can happen due to various factors such as excessive sun exposure, hormonal fluctuations, certain medications and skin injuries. Some individuals may suffer from complexion disorders like hyperpigmentation (darker skin patches) or hypopigmentation (lighter skin patches). Genetics also have a significant influence on an individual's skin complexion.
Areas of abnormal skin pigmentation are typically not harmful. Some patients elect to treat these areas to make affected skin more similar to their natural skin tone.
How is it treated?
Treatment of skin pigmentation conditions begins with an accurate diagnosis from a board-certified dermatology provider. The team at Mountain State Dermatology is specially trained in diagnosing the cause of your hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. Based on your specific diagnosis, your dermatologist can customize a treatment plan for you. This plan may incorporate treatments like topical creams or lotions, laser procedures, chemical peels, or microdermabrasion. Our providers will help you understand environmental or lifestyle changes that can help reduce recurrence of abnormal pigmentation. We will invite your back for regular check-ups to oversee the status of your skin and track the improvement of treatments.
If you are ready to address irregular skin complexion, schedule with one of our offices in Bridgeport, Clarksburg, Elkins, Hurricane, Morgantown, Parkersburg, South Charleston and Wheeling, West Virginia; in Waynesburg and Uniontown, Pennsylvania or in Marietta, Ohio.