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Pigmentation is a condition that leads to darkening or lightening of the skin than its normal color. Patients suffering from hyper-pigmentation often complain of brown patches.

Causes of Pigmentation

Pigmentation is caused due to increased levels of the melanin content, which is a skin pigment that gives color to the skin.  Pigmentation can be caused due to:

  • Injury
  • Inflammation such as laser treatment
  • Hormonal changes
  • Sun damage
  • Genetically determined reasons such as freckles or birthmarks
  • Disease

In case the pigmented patches appear on your skin without any reason, a disease can be the real cause behind their appearance. In such circumstances, you must contact your healthcare provider and try to find out the real cause.

Genetics is an important factor that also decides whether you are going to have pigmentation or not. For example, patches of pigmentation are more common among communities with olive or even darker skin. However, excess sun exposure can also cause them.  

Protection Against Pigmentation

Sun exposure is the main cause of pigmentation. Hence, you must wear sunscreen with UVB and UVA protection even if you are indoors every day. For treating highly pigmented skin patches over the counter medications or creams can prove to be effective.  Creams and lotions with liquorice extract, niacinamide and antioxidants are particularly effective in lightening the pigmented skin areas.

Home Remedies for Treating Pigmentation

You can as well use home remedies such as juice of potato or cucumber to recover from lightly pigmented skin. Applying Aloe Vera juice and leaving it on for 15 minutes also helps to reduce the darkness of pigmented spots. The mucilaginous polysacchirides in Aloe Vera lightens the dark spots. Potatoes are rich in starch and are effective in treating hypo and hyper pigmentation as well as dark circles and melasma.

Advanced Treatments for Pigmentation

In case the over-the-counter medication or the home remedies do not show any results, you must immediately contact your dermatologist who might prescribe you some strong medications for treating pigmentation problem. In severe cases of pigmentation, you may be advised to undergo advanced pigmentation treatments such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion or laser treatment that are quite effective in treating all types of pigmentation problems. However, depending upon the severity of your pigmentation the dermatologist may advise you one of these advanced pigmentation treatments.

If you are allergic to any skin cream or lotion, you should not use any topical medication on your own and should first contact your caregiver. 

Pigmentation is seen because of increased or decreased melanin production. Special cells in the skin produce melanin.

Diet for Pigmentation 

Principle of diet:

A high vitamin-D, vitamin-C and beta-carotene foods should be provided.

Pigmentation Diet

Foods to be included for pigmentation diet:

Milk, honey, almonds, egg, fish, liver, orange, tomatoes, sweet potato, carrots, spinach, broccoli, bitter guard, apricots, beans, grapes, mango, strawberries, etc.

Sample diet for pigmentation:

Timings Menu Serving
Early Morning grape juice grape juice
Break Fast

Roti

Tomato curry

2 no.’s

1 katorie

 

Mid Morning

Boiled egg

Almonds

1 no

4

Lunch rice
Spinach dhal
Liver curry
Curd
2 katori
1 katori
½ katori
1 cup
Tea Time strawberry milk shake 1 glass
Dinner lemon rice with mango chutney
Curd

2 katorie

1 cup

Bed time orange juice  1 glass

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