What Causes Hyperpigmentation
A number of factors cause hyperpigmentation such as UV damage, melasma due to hormonal fluctuations, or as a result of skin injury, e.g. acne or laser treatment. Many of these factors are manageable, but some are unavoidable. Melasma, for instance, is common in pregnant women, and is often referred to as “pregnancy mask”.
Hyperpigmentation occurs in patches on the skin when the melanocytes, the cells which produce the melanin pigment, produce too much melanin due to over-activity.