Some Causes of Hypopigmentation and Treatment

Brighter or whiter skin color that is not normal in certain body parts or throughout the body, possibly indicating hypopigmentation Hypopigmentation is a condition in which the skin appears brighter or whiter due to a lack of melanin pigment, which is a natural skin-giving substance. Most cases of hypopigmentation are not classified as serious and can be given treatment. Only on dark skin, hypopigmentation can trigger embarrassment, especially if it occurs on the exposed skin.

Recognize the Causes of Hypopigmentation

A common cause of hypopigmentation is damage to skin tissue, such as skin infections, blisters, burns, or other trauma to your skin. While some other hypopigmentation is caused by genetic disorders in the body. You may experience loss of pigment in the affected skin area. The loss of the pigment that causes white spots can be permanent or temporary, some cannot be treated as a whole and some need more time for the re-pigmentation process. There are also several other conditions that require special treatment efforts. Some causes of hypopigmentation, namely:

• Vitiligo

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder, where pigment-producing cells are damaged. Vitiligo appears as a white patch on the skin. In some people, these spots can appear throughout the body.

• Albinism

Albinism is a rare congenital disorder caused by the absence of enzymes that produce melanin. This results in a lack of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes. An albino (albinism sufferer) has an abnormal gene that limits the body in producing melanin. This disorder is most common in white people.

• Pytiriasis Alba

Although it is known not to be classified as an infectious disease, but until now it has not been clearly known what the exact cause of pytiriasis alba. This condition can be related to a history of eczema, skin inflammation, and allergies. One typical symptom that he has is pale colored patches on the surface of the skin in certain body parts, such as the face, neck, chest, back and upper arms.

• Infection

Hypopigmentation complaints can also be caused by the infection process. Among them are pytiriasis versicolor or often known as tinea versicolor, and leprosy which is also known as leprosy. Tinea versicolor is caused by fungal infections that grow on the surface of the skin and cause hypopigmentation spots. While leprosy is caused by a bacterial infection of Mycobacterium leprae, which in the initial phase causes complaints of hypopigmentation on most skin surfaces.

• Post-inflammatory hypopigmentation

This condition occurs related to the inflammation process experienced by the skin, both due to a history of skin diseases and scars, especially burns, such as being exposed to the exhaust, scalded, or irritated by chemical exposure.

Treat hypopigmentation appropriately

Doctors can diagnose hypopigmentation based on the appearance of abnormalities in the skin, starting from the shape, size, location, and nature of the lesion. It is possible that your doctor will also recommend a skin scraping test or laser scan, as a complementary examination that can help diagnose hypopigmentation disorders. Treatment of hypopigmentation is basically adjusted to the main cause. Doctors can provide recommendations for the treatment of the use of topical drugs, chemical peels or laser therapy. In addition, with the help of sun exposure, it is likely that areas with minimal pigment will return to normal skin color. Treatment for vitiligo is adjusted according to severity and spread. Some types of therapy commonly used, including therapy with psoralen that can absorb ultraviolet light, corticosteroids, or with surgery to transplant the skin. For hypopigmentation conditions experienced by people with albinism, until now there has been no treatment to overcome them. People with albinism must use sunscreen all the time because they are more prone to skin damage and skin cancer due to sun exposure. A careful examination by a dermatologist will greatly assist efforts to manage hypopigmentation skin discoloration, according to the causes and conditions experienced at this time. It is recommended not to treat hypopigmentation without doctor's advice or supervision, to avoid the condition not getting rotten because of improper handling.