WARNING: The Embarrassing Bodies website contains images of an explicit medical nature and nudity in a medical context.

Embarrassing Bodies , 9:00pm Friday 19th March 2010 on Channel 4. Catch up for free »

Conditions

Skin Pigmentation Problems

Close-up of hyperpigmentation

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 and Questions

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.

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

Can you mess with your genetics? As in darken my skin / hair follicules....? I don't think you can, but living with my 'colouring' is hell. I'm losing my sexual confidence and it's getting worse - i'm 26!My skin is pale but does tan, my hair is becoming more two tone- Copper tones on top but dark underneath..sadly my public hair has changed also - making my life difficult with NO confidence. Why has this happened, has a gene triggered later in life, will it revert?? My sex life has become non existent





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I am 17 years old and I was born with a very large port-wine stain birthmark on my left hip (around 10/11cm in length). I have been having laser treatment on it for about a year and have had no effect. Im not sure if its related, but my left hip (under the mark) is also a different shape to my right hip. Also, I've found that when standing up, the mark is darker than lying down. The dermatologist Im seeing doesnt seem to have seen one like mine before, so he doesnt have a reason for the difference in the shape of my hip. thank you for your help.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I'm a white female who has hyperpigmentation on my back for about 3 years. My gp says there is no treatment on the Nhs. Skin lightening creams seem expensive, do any of the cheaper ones work?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Im im a 13 year old black male, and over the past year i have been starting to get these light patches on my face, mainly the cheeks and as time pass's i got more on my cheeks, and some times when im about to get a new patch, it goes a TINY TINY TINY bit flakey were the new patch is going to be.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

i am 28 years old and i have dark pigmentation of my face above my lip, basically it looks light a moustache, very clear defined lines on either side of my lip, and dark. this really effects my confidence and ability to talk to people, i have been to the doctor and have been told there is nothing i can do, its possiable scaring from plucking hair or just pigmentation. i cover with make up but still dont go swimming or stay round friend as i dont want to be seen without make up. i have tried skin lightening creams with no effect. i have had thisnow for about 2 years and doesnt seem to get an lighter





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Hi, Im a 30 yr old female and have had very bad dark skin around my eye's since i was about 13, when i wear make-up its hardly noticable but my dream would be to be able to go out wearing no make-up and feel normal, i never let anyone see me with out some concelar under my eye's as i am so ashamed of the way i look it gets me down and i think i look so ugly! Please help the doctor has told me there is nothing that can be done, is this true?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

A few years ago I sprayed perfume on my neck area which led to a skin reaction on the right side of my neck and now left a brown discolouration patch on my neck. After being prescribed various creams by the doctor nothing helped and I developed low self esteem and lack of confidence and have had to cover up by wearing a polo neck or scarf. I went on my first holiday with my partner but was unable to wear a bikini, swimsuit or anything that showed off my neck. I am light skinned, british of Ghanaian heritage. I would be interested to know if there is a laser treatment or waterproof camouflage makeup I can try as I don't want this issue to effect me for the rest of my life.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I have dark underarms which are really bothering me now as i have used creams for a long while now. They have worked a little but the darkness is still there. Is there anything i can use that could help.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Pigmentation of the skin can also be caused by a fungal infection. If you go see your doctor they can prescribe you with either a course of antibiotics or if they do not work there is also a shower creme which you apply, leave for an hour and wash off. Seemed to work for me.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

what is the cream called?

I am 36 yrs old and i am suffering from pigmentation what are the easiest remedies to cure this problem





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.



Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.



Please don't swear or be rude in your questions, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting questions. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines


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


More Information

  1. How To Check Your Skin

    In Videos - Dr Jessen provides a quick guide on how to check and protect your s…

  2. Episode 5

    In Episodes - Episode 5 featured conditions as diverse as Gynaecomastia (that's m…

  3. Consultation: Hyperpigmentation

    In Videos - A patient with hyperpigmentation is assessed by Dr McKenna

  4. Quick Health Advice: Moles

    In Videos - Dr Jessen advises on the kind of mole you should be looking out for…

  5. Consultation: Mole Check-Up

    In Videos - Dr Harper examines a patient's moles

  6. Quick Health Advice: Acne

    In Videos - Dr Pixie McKenna provides some information on the causes of acne, z…

  7. Am I Normal Acne

    In Videos - Dr Dawn Harper discusses the causes and treatments of acne, includi…

  8. Quick Health Advice: Psoriasis

    In Videos - Dr Harper explains the causes of and treatments available for psor…

  9. Consultation: Ichthyosis

    In Videos - Dr Harper treats a women for the skin condition Ichthyosis, with am…

  10. Quick Health Advice: Penis Spots

    In Videos - Dr Christian discusses how to check for penile spots and what warni…

  11. Consultation: Second Adult Circumcision

    In Videos - Dr Jessen examines a patient in need of a new circumcision

  12. Dr James Russell

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr James Russell.

  13. Dr Priya Manickavasagar

    Doctor Info - Find out more about Dr Priya.

  14. Consultation: Psoriasis

    In Videos - Dr Dawn Harper examines a patient with psoriasis

  15. Consultation: Soreness on the Penis

    In Videos - A patient is examined for soreness around his penis


Be on the Show

Have you been inspired by the patients in the current series to seek help for your problem? Apply to be on the show here >