Skin Pigmentation Disorders (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Hyperpigmentation, Hypopigmentation

Pigmentation means coloring. Skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin. Skin cells give your skin color by making a substance called melanin. When these cells become damaged or unhealthy, it affects melanin production. Some pigmentation disorders affect just patches of skin. Others affect your entire body.

If your body makes too much melanin, your skin gets darker. Pregnancy, Addison's disease and sun exposure all can make your skin darker. If your body makes too little melanin, your skin gets lighter. Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of light skin. Albinism is a genetic condition affecting all of a person's skin. Infections, blisters and burns can cause lighter skin.

Overviews

Abnormal Pigmentation(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/skin_care/hic_abnormal_pigmentation.aspx

Treatment

Chemical Peels Information(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery) - http://www.asds.net/ChemicalPeelsInformation.aspx
Dermabrasion(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery) - http://www.asds.net/DermabrasionInformation.aspx
Laser Surgery Information(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery) - http://www.asds.net/LaserSurgeryInformation.aspx

Specific Conditions

Acanthosis Nigricans(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/acanthosis-nigricans/DS00653/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Incontinentia Pigmenti(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/incontinentia_pigmenti/incontinentia_pigmenti.htm
Liver Spots and Aging Hands Information(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery) - http://www.asds.net/LiverSpotsAgingHandsInformation.aspx
McCune-Albright Syndrome(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/mccune_albright_syndrome.cfm
Melasma(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_melasma.html
Moles, Freckles, Skin Tags, Benign Lentigines, and Seborrheic Keratoses(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/skin_care/hic_moles_freckles_skin_tags_benign_lentigines_and_seborrheic_keratoses.aspx
Progressive Pigmentary Purpura(American Osteopathic College of Dermatology) - http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/progressive_pigmen.html
Tinea Versicolor(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_tinea.html
Understanding Xeroderma Pigmentosum(National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center) - Links to PDF - http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/xp7_17.pdf
Waardenburg Syndrome(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/waard.asp

Pictures & Photographs

Acanthosis Nigricans(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/acanthosisNigricans.htm
Lentigo Simplex(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/lentigoSimplex.htm
Melasma(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/melasma.htm
Oral Melanotic Macule(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/oralMelanoticMacule.htm
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/post-InflammatoryHyperpigmentation.htm
Post-Inflammatory Hypopigmentation(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/post-InflammatoryHypopigmentation.htm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperpigmentation(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Hyperpigmentation%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypopigmentation(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Hypopigmentation%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Pigmentation Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Pigmentation+Disorders%22

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: Incontinentia pigmenti(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=incontinentiapigmenti
Genetics Home Reference: Oculocutaneous albinism(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=oculocutaneousalbinism
Genetics Home Reference: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=peutzjegherssyndrome
Genetics Home Reference: Waardenburg syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=waardenburgsyndrome

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Hamartomatous polyposis syndromes. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18672141&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Effect of increased pigmentation on the antifibrotic response of human... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18645136&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Tissue-specific accelerated aging in nucleotide excision repair deficiency. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18538374&tool=MedlinePlus
Skin Pigmentation Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=pigmentation+disorders[majr]+NOT+(albinism,+ocular[mh]+OR+eye+color[mh]+OR+vitiligo[mh])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Medical Encyclopedia

pigmentation - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=pigmentation

Directories

Find a Dermasurgeon(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery) - http://www.asds.net/find.aspx
Find a Dermatologist(American Academy of Dermatology) - http://www.aad.org/findaderm/

Organizations

American Academy of Dermatology - http://www.aad.org/
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery - http://www.asds.net/
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/

Children

Albinism(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/skin/albinism.html
Café au Lait Macule(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/infant/cafeauLaitMacule.htm
Pityriasis Alba(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/child/pityriasisAlba.htm
Skin Pigment Disorders(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1607/mainpageS1607P0.html
What's a Birthmark?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/birthmark.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/preguntas/birthmark_esp.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Moles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/moles.html
Vitiligo - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitiligo.html
Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Skin Pigmentation Disorders is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/