What is Pigmentation?
Hyper pigmentation (melasma) is a common disease in Pakistan. There are many reasons for this pigmentation and sun exposure, hormonal imbalance, pregnancy and post-inflammatory pigmentation major contributors in hyper pigmentation. Pigmentation is more common in Female due to hormonal problems. This is a disorder due to excessive production of female hormones estrogens and progestron during pregnancy which causes excessive production of melanin pigment when exposed to the Sun. As a consequence there are dark patches on the forehead, cheeks, lip, and nose.
Over production of melanin due to hormones is one major reason and there are other causes as well like genetic predisposition and stress. Melanocyte –stimulating hormones are influenced by stress and causes production of melanin and result is melasma or hyper pigmentation. Oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy can cause pigmentation as well.