WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?

“Hyperpigmentation is caused by overproduction and irregular distribution of melanin in the skin,” explains Nancy Samolitis, a board-certified dermatologist in Long Beach, California.

The skin can be triggered to overproduce pigment (melanin) for a variety of different reasons, but, by far, the most common is sun exposure.

When our skin is unprotected and exposed to the sun’s rays, melanocytes are naturally triggered to produce more melanin

– this is our body’s way of protecting itself. But the overexposure to the sun isn’t the only thing that can stimulate an overproduction of melanin. Other causes include:

■ Hormones from birth control pills or IUDs

■ Hormones during pregnancy

■ Medications

■ Rashes such as eczema that cause inflammation in the skin

■ Acne or picking at your pimples

■ Scratching chronically at your skin.