Know Your Skin: The Difference Between Hyperpigmentation and Melasma
To look at, dark patches of skin on the face might appear to be the result of the same thing – too much sun – but when you look a little closer, those abnormalities in tone are actually very different. In the second of our Know Your Skin series, we explain the difference between hyperpigmentation and melasma. Symptoms of Hyperpigmentation In general terms, hyperpigmentation refers to uneven darkening of the skin caused by external stressors, the most common of which is sun exposure. When sunlight reaches the skin, it triggers the production of melanin within the lower layers which then travels up to the surface of the skin, resulting in visible dark spots or patches. These dark spots can develop in all shapes, sizes and densities, and can affect all skin types, tones and ethnicities. If not caused directly by UV rays, hyperpigmentation can develop following skin trauma (such as cuts or scrapes that break the skin), blemishes and the use of topical treatments that m