Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation

After inflamm­a­ti­on of the skin, a brow­nish mark often remains. The cau­se is increased pig­ment pro­duc­tion at the infla­med site. In medi­cal terms this is cal­led post-inflamm­a­to­ry hyperpigmentation.

Appli­ca­ti­on

Typi­cal trig­gers are acne, ecze­ma, insect bites or an over­ly aggres­si­ve tre­at­ment. Peo­p­le with dar­ker skin types are affec­ted con­sider­a­b­ly more often. Tre­at­ment is with brigh­tening acti­ve sub­s­tances, reti­no­ids, gent­le peels and con­sis­tent sun protection.

Good to know

The­se marks are not scar tis­sue and usual­ly fade on their own, though over months. Sun expo­sure inten­si­fies them and pro­longs them con­sider­a­b­ly. The most important step is to tre­at the under­ly­ing inflammation.

Matching tre­at­ment at Swiss Der­ma Cli­nic: Pig­ment spot treatment