Color skin depends not only on race, but also on the characteristics of the skin - the amount of coloring pigment. Skin pigmentation is determined by the ratio of melanin, the main pigment, and other color components, such as hemoglobin and carotene.

What determines skin color?

Pigmentation of the skin, as well as the iris of the eyes and hair, is due to the presence of pigments in them. The main color factors that determine skin tone are:

1. Melanin. The function is to protect the genetic material that is encoded in cell nuclei from the damaging effects of solar radiation. The main pigment that determines skin color from various variations of brown to black (excess melanin).
2. Carotene. A pigment present in the layers of the skin. Determines the yellowish tint of the skin. An excess of this pigment is typical for the peoples of East Asia.
3. Oxygenated hemoglobin. Color factor that determines the redness of the skin.
4. Deoxygenated hemoglobin. Reduced hemoglobin, which determines the blue tint of the skin.

Uniform distribution of pigment determines normal skin color. Uneven pigment deposition caused by a number of reasons leads to the appearance of areas with hyperpigmentation.

Depending on the reasons, and they can be either physiological or pathological, pigmented spots disappear on their own or require treatment.

Main causes of skin hyperpigmentation

Why does such a phenomenon as hyperpigmentation occur? It has causes that can be both physiological (gestation period) and pathological (diseases internal organs).

Causes of pigmentation:

• Insufficient intake of vitamins into the body. The lack of cyanocobalamin, which controls the appearance of hyperpigmentation, leads to the appearance of pigment. Tocopherol deficiency increases the risk of skin damage from intense exposure to sunlight. Lack of retinol leads to hyperpigmentation.
• Circulatory disorders. Stagnant processes lead to the accumulation of decay products, which can result in the appearance of pigment spots.


• Gallbladder dysfunction. An increase in cholesterol levels provokes lipid metabolism disorders. The consequence is pigment spots on the face.
• Intestinal slagging. Organ dysfunction disrupts metabolic processes, causing dark spots on the skin.
• Pathologies of cardio-vascular system. Typically for people over 40 years of age.
• Pathologies nervous system. Hyperpigmentation can result from frequent stress and nervous disorders.
• Kidney diseases. The appearance of yellowish-brown spots indicates a malfunction of the kidneys.
• Hormonal changes. Hyperpigmentation that occurs during menopause, pregnancy, and puberty.
• Long-term treatment by taking hormonal medications.
• Active exposure to sunlight. Especially in the case of exposure to the sun from eleven to sixteen hours, as well as when ignoring products with a sun protection factor.
• Acne. Squeezing out ulcers, overusing cosmetics and lack of adequate care causes residual pigment spots and scars to appear.
• Age-related pigmentation. Small spots covering areas of the body that are most often exposed to sunlight (hands, shoulders, face).
• Allergic reaction to food or low-quality cosmetics.

Accurate determination of the cause of the appearance age spots will allow you to eliminate the defect as quickly and effectively as possible. Treatment of hyperpigmentation resulting from internal causes should begin directly with the impact on the cause itself, that is, on the specific disease that provoked the appearance of hyperpigmentation.

In addition to the main symptom - the appearance of pigment - you should pay attention to other signs of the disease.

Types of skin pigmentation

If pigment spots appear, you need to contact the clinic. An experienced doctor will determine the diagnosis and recommend the most optimal method treatment.

There are such types of pigmentation:

1. Freckles. Uneven golden specks, characterized by their miniature size and symmetrical arrangement. The appearance is typical for people with light brown and red hair. As a rule, they appear in summer period. In winter, the spots either fade or disappear altogether. Experts recommend not neglecting sunscreen to prevent their occurrence.
2. Chloasma. Uneven yellowish-brownish spots, varying in size. They are located on the skin of the face, neck, chest, abdomen, and thighs. The occurrence is usually associated with changes in hormonal levels. Manifests during puberty, during gestation or breastfeeding, during menopause, with gynecological diseases, as well as in the case of taking hormonal contraceptives. They do not require treatment and go away on their own (after childbirth, menopause, or finishing contraceptives).


3. Nevus. Spots characterized by the fact that they rise above the surface of the skin. Their color ranges from yellowish to black. Distinguish birthmarks congenital and acquired. Some of them are prone to malignant degeneration. Therefore, you need to be especially careful when you have them, so as not to injure them.
4. Lentigo. There are two types of this hyperpigmentation. The first is juvenile, manifests itself during the first ten years of life and is caused by a genetic factor. The occurrence of the second - senile, is typical for people over 40 years old. This type of lentigo appears in areas that are most often exposed to sunlight. Usually this is the face, shoulders, hands.
5. Vitiligo. Unlike the above varieties, which are characterized by hyperpigmentation, this form refers to hypopigmentation. The cause of the defect is heredity, but often exposure to chemicals or medications can lead to discoloration.

Cosmetic procedures in treatment

Eliminating dangerous skin spots physical health person, definitely a must. But the treatment of pigmentation that has no connection with the disease, which is purely a cosmetic defect, is a person’s personal choice. Getting rid of stains is recommended if their appearance provokes psychological discomfort.

Treatment of skin pigmentation is carried out using procedures:

1. Chemical peeling. Depending on the depth of the spots, a superficial or middle technique is used. The procedure is aimed at stimulating cell change processes, when normal cells appear in place of hyperpigmented cells.
2. Mesotherapy. Effect on pigmentation hyaluronic acid saturated with a whitening component. This procedure eliminates the defect and creates everything possible to restore the elasticity of the skin.
3. Mechanical dermabrasion. It is used in the presence of post-traumatic stains. Mechanical grinding not only eliminates hyperpigmentation, but also initiates regenerative processes.
4. Laser peeling. The treatment consists of destroying melanin in areas of its excessive accumulation under the influence of a laser. To achieve maximum effect, at least two procedures are recommended, with a mandatory break of one month.
5. Phototherapy. The essence of the method is the destruction of the pigment under the influence of light wave energy. To completely remove hyperpigmentation, you will need at least three sessions. The procedure helps to activate the synthesis of elastin and collagen, allowing you to restore skin elasticity.

In addition to hardware procedures, the removal of age spots is carried out using various cosmetics based on components such as hydroquinone, salicylic acid, mercury, zinc and hydrogen peroxide.

Efficacy and contraindications

Efficiency cosmetic procedures depends on factors:

• Pigmentation intensity. Dark spots in one procedure it will be possible to lighten only a few tones. It will take several sessions to completely eliminate it. To get rid of light spots once is enough.
• Level of professionalism of the specialist.
• Quality of cosmetics and equipment.

Cosmetic procedures can guarantee the removal of blemishes while improving the color and condition of the skin. To consolidate the effect obtained, it is imperative to follow measures to prevent relapses in the future.

Treatment of stains, or rather, their elimination with the help of cosmetics, has a number of contraindications:

• Treatment with glucocorticosteroid hormonal drugs.
• Diabetes.
• The period of gestation and breastfeeding.
• Serious skin pathologies.

Pigment spots that appear during pregnancy often disappear on their own after some time and do not require treatment.

Traditional recipes for eliminating pigmentation

Treatment in cosmetic clinics using various modern means and equipment is often expensive. If you have flat spots that do not rise above the surface of the skin, you can use folk recipes. Despite natural ingredients masks, you should consult a specialist before the procedure.

The most effective in the fight against age spots are the following recipes:

• A paste based on lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed) and potato starch. Duration up to thirty minutes.
• Freshly squeezed citrus juice (lemon or orange). Wipe the problem area and rinse with water.
• Apply fresh cucumber juice (can be replaced with parsley juice) to the age spot, rinse with clean water.
• Chop the parsley and add a small amount of water. Boil. Apply the resulting mass, cooled, to areas of the skin for twenty minutes.


• White clay mask with the addition of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Apply the paste to the problem area for ten minutes.
• White clay mask with the addition of beaten egg whites. Duration ten minutes.
• Crushed sweet peppers with a little honey added. Apply the mixture for twenty minutes.
• Horseradish root crushed in a blender with the addition of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Duration no more than ten minutes.
• Mask based on fresh yeast with the addition full fat milk and a small amount of lemon juice. Duration fifteen minutes.
• Fermented milk products with the addition of freshly squeezed lemon juice or honey.

The duration of use of the product is until the desired effect is obtained. When applying, it is important not to go beyond the stain. At the end, it is recommended to apply a nourishing cream.

If an allergic reaction occurs after the procedure, you should contact a specialist. To eliminate allergies, it is usually enough not to reapply the mask.

Preventive actions

Protection from solar radiation is the basic rule for preventing the development of pigments. To prevent skin pigmentation, as well as significantly reduce the risk of its occurrence in the presence of provoking factors (for example, during menopause), following simple steps will help preventive measures:

• It is necessary to minimize exposure to direct sunlight as much as possible, especially during hours of maximum intensity - from eleven to sixteen hours.
• Use sunscreen with SPF of at least 15. Apply the product twenty minutes before your walk. It is important to remember that to ensure maximum protection, you need to reapply the cream after about 4 hours.
• We must not forget about wearing a hat (preferably with a wide brim) on sunny days, because it will not only help prevent sunstroke, it will also protect delicate skin faces from the sun's rays.
• Prolonged exposure to the sun is not recommended for women during pregnancy and menopause, when using hormonal contraception.
• When treated with drugs that increase the body's sensitivity to UV radiation, it is necessary to avoid exposure to the sun or, if possible, change medicine, having previously consulted with your doctor.
• Avoid contact with sun-exposed areas of the skin with perfume and essential oils.

Nutrition plays a special role in the prevention of hyperpigmentation. It is necessary to eat foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants. It is worth contacting a specialist who will recommend the most optimal vitamin complex.

Pigment spots on the body are a fairly common aesthetic defect that many women and men try to cope with. But you need to understand that you can get rid of such stains only by identifying and eliminating the cause of their appearance.

In some cases, the appearance of pigmented spots on the body can be a symptom of a serious disease, such as skin cancer. Therefore, the treatment of pathological pigmentation should be carried out by a specialist - a dermatologist, since the use of folk remedies is not always successful, and sometimes has a negative impact on health.

A dermatologist will conduct a comprehensive examination of the body and, if necessary, refer you to related specialists. Only after the cause of pigmentation on the body is known, the doctor will give medical recommendations or prescribe cosmetic procedures that will help lighten problem areas on the skin.

The most common causes of age spots on the body are:

• prolonged exposure to direct sunlight;
• hormonal imbalance;
• diseases of the skin of an inflammatory nature;
• use of low-quality cosmetics;
• side effect of some medications;
• skin aging.

Let's look at each reason in more detail.

Pigment spots are an accumulation of melanin pigment in skin cells, which is synthesized in the body under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, long exposure to direct sunlight leads to excessive formation of melanin, mainly in exposed areas of the body. As a result, pigmented spots appear on the skin.

Pregnancy– this is a period characterized by enormous hormonal changes in the body. Hormones are involved in the regulation of all processes in the human body, including melanin synthesis. Therefore, many women, while carrying a child, develop pigment spots on their bodies, especially in the face and along the midline of the abdomen.

Also pigment spots act as residual effects after acne, injuries or cuts, since these defects are most sensitive to ultraviolet rays.

Some cosmetic ingredients eg retinoic acid, bergamot, flavorings or essential oil lime, help increase skin sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, as a result of which spots with pigment appear on the body.

In addition, there are medications, side effects which manifest themselves as pigmentation on the body. These medications include oral hormonal contraceptives (progestins, estrogens), antimicrobials (Levofloxacin), cytostatics and others.

According to the classification, there are five types of age spots, namely:

• chloasma;
• lentigo;
• post-acne;
• freckles;
• nevi.

Chloasma are dark or yellow, predominantly irregularly shaped spots that have smooth surface and clear contours. Such defects are most often observed during pregnancy due to changes in the woman’s hormonal levels. Typical locations for chloasma are the face, torso, abdomen, and thighs.

After childbirth, a woman’s hormonal levels normalize, so chloasma in most cases goes away without a trace. But for some women, such defects can remain for life, and you can get rid of them with the help of medications or salon cosmetic procedures.

Lentigo It is customary to call dark brown or brown spots raised above the skin of a round or oval shape, which can be of various sizes - from a dot to a five-kopeck coin. In turn, such age spots are divided into juvenile and senile.

Juvenile lentigo appear on the skin of adolescents during a surge of sex hormones when puberty body.

Senile, or whatever they are called age spots, age spots, appear in older people due to aging of skin cells.

Lentigo can also be removed using cosmetics or procedures.

Post-acne– these are pigment spots that remain at the site of pimples, blackheads and other inflammatory skin processes. This type of pigmentation is more common in young people who suffer from acne. Post-acne may go away over time without any intervention, but if this does not happen, cosmetical tools They can easily cope with this skin problem.

Freckles They look like small specks of yellow, copper or brown color. The favorite place for freckles to appear is the face, since it is the most exposed part of the body. But pigmentation can also often be present on the skin of the neck and collar area chest, shoulders, back and back of the hands.

During the cold season, freckles lighten, and with the onset of the spring-summer season, their color becomes brighter. Such pigmentation does not bring any subjective sensations. Some people with freckles are ashamed of their appearance because of them, while the other part considers themselves special, turning such cosmetic defects into their dignity.

Nevi, which are popularly called moles, are the same age spots that have different color intensities, shapes and sizes. Moles can have a convex or flat surface. Despite the fact that nevi do not cause any discomfort, you need to carefully monitor any changes that may occur to them. This is explained by the fact that they can transform into a malignant neoplasm - melanoma.

Signs of transition of nevus to melanoma There may be a change in shape, the presence of inflammation, ulcers on its surface, pain, or a change in color. If you detect at least one of the listed signs, you should consult a dermatologist. Early diagnosis melanoma significantly increases the chances of recovery.

How and with what to treat age spots on the skin?

Unfortunately, not all age spots can be treated, but with the help of modern means and methods they can be made less noticeable. The hardest ones to get rid of are freckles and lentigo.

Also, some stains may disappear on their own without any action on them. This is often observed in the case of chloasma, which disappears without a trace after childbirth.

It is also important to determine the cause of age spots, since eliminating it will lighten the pigmentation or completely remove it.

Can be used in the fight against age spots the following methods:

• drug therapy;
• salon cosmetology procedures;
• cosmetical tools;
• traditional medicine.

Let's take a closer look at each method of treating pigmentation on the body.

Since pigment spots are accumulations of melanin, which is formed in excess quantities in the skin, drugs that inhibit its production are used to treat pigmentation.

Folic, ascorbic, azelaic and koyenoic acids reduce the production of melanin, so you need to select a drug that contains at least one of the listed components.

Quite affordable and effective in the fight against age spots on the body are the following drugs:

• Melanativ cream;
• Achromin cream;
• Clotrimazole ointment;
• syntomycin emulsion;
• salicylic alcohol.

To achieve the desired result, you must regularly use the listed products for 4-8 weeks.

Treatment of age spots using salon procedures

Modern hardware cosmetology is the most effective method getting rid of pigmentation on the body. But, unfortunately, due to the high cost of the procedures, not everyone can afford them. It is also important to entrust your skin only to an experienced cosmetologist who has a higher medical education.

Pigment spots on the skin can be remove using the following salon procedures:

• laser removal;
• deletion liquid nitrogen;
• phototherapy;
• chemical peeling.

Let's talk separately about each method.

Removing pigmentation with laser has a number of advantages, including painlessness, minimal trauma, local impact and high efficiency.

During the laser therapy procedure, a laser is directed at the pigment spot, which destroys melanin, due to which the problem area becomes lighter. After the first procedure, the pigment spot turns red and begins to peel off; when the surface of the defect is cleansed, the skin becomes its normal color.

liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy) It is also a highly effective method that removes old epidermal cells and activates skin regeneration. The disadvantage of cryotherapy is that red spots remain at the site of pigmentation, which disappear only after a few weeks.

Phototherapy- This is the destruction of melanin in skin cells using infrared flashes. This procedure is also painless and atraumatic, and the recovery period lasts several days.

Chemical peeling involves applying chemical compounds to problem areas that lighten the skin and eliminate pigmentation. The most popular and effective are peels with salicylic or triacetic acids. Besides, this procedure normalizes work sebaceous glands, tightens pores, prevents the appearance of age spots and acne, and smoothes out wrinkles.

Cosmetics to combat pigmentation on the body

In the fight against pigmentation today, cosmetic products from various manufacturers have shown themselves to be excellent, namely:

• Bodyaga and Bodyaga forte;
• Boro plus cream;
• Klivrin cream;
• Idealia Pro serum from Vichy;
• Vitex mask;
• Biocon whitening cream and many others.

The listed cosmetics received a lot positive feedback both from those who used them and from specialists.

Folk remedies can also lighten age spots on the skin and even completely eliminate them. To prepare masks, compresses or lotions, natural ingredients rich in ascorbic and other acids, which have a whitening effect, are used.

Top effective and simple folk remedies against age spots on the body:

• daily rubbing of problem areas on the body with the juice of parsley, cabbage, lemon, raspberries or viburnum;
• rubbing skin affected by pigmentation with kefir or yogurt;
• mask with cucumber and kefir;
• White clay and chamomile. 100 ml of chamomile decoction is mixed with two tablespoons of white cosmetic clay and applied to the skin for 30 minutes, then washed off with warm water without soap;
• bearberry, yarrow or licorice extract, which are added to cream or body lotion;
• compresses and lotions with 0.9% sodium chloride solution.

How to prevent the appearance of age spots on the body?

Preventing the occurrence of such defects is much easier than getting rid of them. The following recommendations will help you with this:

• avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight;
• use sunscreens with a high degree of protection in the summer;
• wear hats when going out in the sun;
• minimize visits to the solarium, because tanning, of course, is beautiful, but pigment spots are not so much;
• use only high-quality skin cosmetics;
• eat enough foods rich in vitamins (fruits, vegetables, herbs, berries).

Pigment spots on the skin are not a global problem today, since they can be eliminated with modern technologies, supplemented by folk methods.