Conditions
Skin Pigmentation Problems
Some skin conditions occur because the body produces either too much melanin (hyperpigmentation) or too little (hypopigmentation), which is the natural pigment responsible for the colour of our skin, hair and eyes. It’s melanin that protects the body from damaging ultraviolet light, which is why those with hypopigmentary conditions, such as albinism (causing light skin, white or pale yellow hair, and light blue or gray eyes) or vitilgo (which creates smooth, depigmented white spots on the skin) need to take extra care to protect their skin from the sun’s rays. ‘Liver spots’, which occur due to sun damage, are a common form of Hyperpigmentation (when the body produces too much melanin, causing skin to become darker than usual). Similarly, the skin condition melasma, which creates a dark mask-like discoloration that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose, can often be triggered during pregnancy when haywire hormones lead to an overproduction of melanin that causes the “mask of pregnancy” on the face and darkened skin on the abdomen and other areas.
Comments
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments are reviewed before they are published.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
I am 27 year old black African woman. I have hyper-pigmentation between my thighs. I have been dark between my legs, as far as I can remember from the age of about 13 or 14. I am no longer over weight. I wear tights all the time. Is there any other kind of treatment I can get?
My skin is smooth where it's dark, I moisturize everyday, If I do go out in the sun I put on a stupid amount of sunscreen. Tis problem does not bother me as much as it used to. I now almost have no problems wearing a bikini in summer. it would be wonderful to know if there is a solution all the same.
Thank You
I am 35 years old and I have dark patches on top of my cheeks and my forhead,which have appeared since 2007. can you help please?
I am 28 years old and have got dark skin pigmentation on my top lip which looks like i have got a moustache. I have tried various creams, but nothing seems to work. I'm now considering having IPL,would yu recommend this?
I have white patches all over my neck face and arms and this is getting worse. Can you advise me if there is any treatment for this
i have tryed all cream and bath treatments given to me by my G-P i am 22 years old and am black my skin is covered with this pigmentasion all over my body from head to my privates plus it's very itchy my ack has lost colour hence from bing brown to having big black patches plus under my chin,and armpets…. please help
Hi, I am a 32 year old mother of 2 and of Asian origin and suffer with polycystical ovaries. Since my mid teens I have suffered with oily skin-T zone and acne and have seen a dermatologist who has given me lots of different lotions and pills to calm it down.Though they never really worked. I am not seeing a dermatologist now or have any treatment. As I've got older I still have the odd breakout of spots especially near menstruation time and have been left with severe scarring or dark marks on the face especially the cheeks, chin and jawline I think because of the acne and have a some facial hair on the jawline and neck due to polycystical ovaries. But I have noticed that my skin on the face marks very easily now. I also have a dark patch on the left side of my forehead and people have asked me whether I bumped my head as it looks like a bruise fading except its a dark patch darker than my normal skin colour. When I talk to people I am very self conscious and feel depressed. Even make up doesnt really cover up the marks or the patch well. My mother also has dark marks on her face cheeks and chin which developed in her 40's but she never suffered with acne. Could this be a genetic or hormonal thing? Please advise me how to get rid of these horrible, unwanted marks. Does laser treatment work and would it be right for me? Thanks.
I am 30 years old and have got dark skin pigmentation on my top lip which looks like i have got a moustache. I am considering using obagi nu-derm but reports that I have read say that your skin peels very badly and reddens for many weeks – this would be very difficult with my work but if the outcome was good then I would consider it – what are your thoughts please and any risks?
I'm a 27yo caucasian female with very pale skin. Since the onset of puberty, i began to develop darker skin… firstly in the armpits, then under the breasts, in the cleavage, back of the neck, elbows, knees and between the thighs and around the pubic area. Over time, the areas have gotten worse, normally during the warmer months. Sometimes my underarms will itch, some of the areas appear dry. The vaginal has what looks like pimples which develop after shaving. I used to pop them, and eventually they would scar and turn into darker spots. Ive recently started to use an epilator in these areas, which has seemed to help with the spots. Though the discolouration is still there.
I've always suffered from being overweight, which has cause alot of self confidence issues in itself. As the condition has worsened, my confidence in myself has also, causing severe depression and progressive hair loss. Im so ashamed of my body, that i haven't had a sexual partner for over six years, and i wont pursue any relationship opportunities because im terrified to share this with any potential partners.
I've seen multiple GP's for my problem, and as yet have still had no improvement in these areas. Following the use of various creams, and other treatments, nothing has worked. Ive never had an answer as to what im even suffering from.
Any help would be apreciated, thanks in advance.
Hi there, I am 19 years old, came back from holiday 3 weeks ago and since then my tan has faded leaving white pigments around my arms which have now gone to my entire body except my face. what is this?? thankyou
I have a patch of skin on my neck that has become slightly darker/redder than the rest of my skin.
I'm a white male and this patch is slightly darker and about the size and shape of a 5p piece.In the middle it looks to have a lighter patch about the size if a pin head.It is flat to my skin not raised.I have had this a couple of months.It's not itchy or sore but all sort of things going through my mind like cancer or k s lesions.There are no others anywhere esle.
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.