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Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation is caused by repeated pigmentation of skin in scarring and healing processes in the skin, and by hyperpigmentation caused by therapeutic interventions. This can be caused by a variety of things: infection, allergic reaction, acne scarring, medication reactions, trauma like burns or cuts, and inflammatory disease. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation primarily affects the basal cell layer of the epidermis, making it as difficult to remove as a tattoo.

The process that causes postinflammatory hyperpigmentation is either the oxidation of arachidonic acid generated by the skin’s inflammatory response to irritation, or the stimulation of melanocytes during inflammatory periods (usually called epidermal hypermelanosis). The first cause is almost a dyeing process, while the second is caused by a natural skin pigmentation process gone wild. Lesions tend to be light brown to black in color. They also darken with exposure to light.

Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation is more likely to develop in darker skin, and is most apparent in photoinduced dermatoses or lichenoid dermatoses. There is no sexual component to this problem, as it occurs equally in males and females, and it may occur in any age. Treatment usually involves skin lightening treatments like glycolic acid. This is a difficult condition to treat, but many new treatments are being developed.

Web Resources On Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

Postinflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

Book Resources On Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

Pocket Guide to Medications Used in Dermatology by Scheman & Severson
Cosmetic Dermatology by Cheryl M. Burgess (ed)

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