PIGMENT SPOTS

Age spots (lentigo) are common. These (light) brown spots appear from middle age, especially on places that are exposed to the sun a lot, such as the backs of the hands and the face. They are also called sun spots (lentigo solaris) or liver spots. Age spots are almost always benign. Treatment is then mainly done from an aesthetic point of view. 

Another form of excessive pigment formation is the pregnancy mask (melasma or chloasma). They are dark spots on the face or neck formed by pregnancy hormones (or the pill). In women with dark skin, the spots are darker or lighter. The spots usually disappear gradually after childbirth; sometimes they are permanent. To prevent melasma, it is important to stay out of the sun as much as possible during pregnancy and to protect the skin with a high sun protection factor.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is common. Due to inflammation in the skin, the pigment cells produce too much pigment. It often occurs with eczema, acne, bacterial skin infections and insect bites. In many cases, production is slow to recover, but this can take a year or more. Sometimes this also does not happen and treatment is required.