General Dermatology | Pigment Disorders

What Are Pigment Disorders?

There are many types of abnormal pigmentation, or coloring disorders, that can occur in your skin.

Many of these disorders may be present at birth while others develop as we age, and almost all are the result of excess pigment production.

These pigment disorders include:

Symptoms of pigment disorders vary widely, depending on the type of disorder. All involve a discoloration or lack of color in the skin.

Specific symptoms include:

Albinism: White hair, very pale skin and light blue eyes
Vitiligo: Smooth white patches and streaks of white hair
Melasma: Symmetric butterfly-shaped patches of dark brown or grayish brown on the face
Moles (congenital nevi): Raised or flat, brown or black spots of varying sizes
Café-au-lait spots: Caramel-colored, oval-shaped spots
Hemangioma: Bright red to purple raised spots
Nevus flammeus (port-wine stain): Large, flat spots of pink, red or purple
Mongolian spots: Blue or grayish bruise-like spots on the lower back or buttocks
Post-inflammatory increase or decrease in pigmentation: Loss of pigment or excessive pigmentation at the site of a former injury or infection
Macular stains or salmon patches: Pink and red marks on the face or the back of the neck
Telangiectasias: Red, blue or purple coloration
Acanthosis nigricans: Skin that darkens and thickens

Many pigment disorders are congenital or present at birth. Others develop later in life.

Our treatment for pigment disorders will depend largely on the type of pigment disorder you may have.

Our treatment options Include: