Hyper pigmentation is a common, but a harmless condition which results in darkening of the skin and is caused by an excess of melanin, the pigment that determines our skin color. Liver spots or ageing are a common form of hyper pigmentation and are referred by doctors as solar lentigines. They are small, darkened patches which are found in areas frequently exposed to the sun. Melasma or chloasma spots are similar to age spots, but affect larger skin areas and are caused due to hormonal changes. Women who take birth control pills are at higher risk of developing hyper pigmentation owing to the hormonal changes their bodies undergo during pregnancy.
Freckles are small brown spots that can appear anywhere on the body, especially face and arms, and the condition becomes worse when the skin is exposed to sun. Upon exposure, melanin absorbs the energy from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun to protect the skin from over exposure. It results in skin tanning, which tends to darken areas that are already Hyper pigmented. Many prescription pigmented creams are also available these days to lighten the skin containing Hydroquinone. Bleaches slow down the production of melanin and fade the darkened skin patches to match normal skin color. Highly affective laser treatments like q-switched ruby laser are available these days which remove pigmentation without leaving scars.