Hyperpigmentation is more common than you think. No one really knows how many people have it but certain individuals are more prone it.

Darker skin type: According to a recent medical survey, pigment disorders such as hyperpigmentation are the third most common reason that African American patients go to the dermatologist.(5) Among patients of Asian descent, up to 40% of women and 20% of men may have melasma.(6) A classification system has been developed that describes risk by skin type.

Sun exposure: They don't call them sun spots for nothing. Among patients with melasma, a combination of skin type and sun exposure may increase risk. People with light brown skin (eg, Asians, some Hispanics and some African Americans) who live in areas with high ultraviolet exposure have the highest prevalence of melasma.(7,8) Patients of any skin type who are exposed to ultraviolet radiation may double the amount of pigment in their skin.(9)

Gender: Women are more likely than men to develop melasma (10). And women can blame it all on hormones, associated with pregnancy, birth control pills, and hormone replacement therapy. Melasma may go away after childbirth or after a woman stops taking hormones. Men may also experience melasma, but hormones do not appear to be the cause.(11)

Skin trauma: Trauma may be due to inflammatory skin disorders such as acne, eczema, and contact dermatitis. Sometimes cosmetic procedures such as chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing, waxing, and electrolysis maybe the cause. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation occurs at the site of injury, which can appear anywhere on the body. Men and women have the same risk of developing postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Other causes of melasma in both men and women include heredity, medications that cause the skin to become more sensitive to solar radiation, nutritional deficiency, and some disorders that affect the endocrine system in the body.

EpiQuin Micro should be tested for skin sensitivity prior to use. Excessive inflammatory responses are contraindications to further use, while minor redness is not. Hydroquinone may produce unwanted effects if not used as directed. The safety of topical hydroquinone use during pregnancy has not been established.

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