- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neural Tube Defects
- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Tourette Syndrome
- Tuberous Sclerosis
- Usher Syndrome
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Allergy
- Animal Bites
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aplastic Anemia
- Asthma
- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
- Childhood Vaccines
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Eosinophilic Disorders
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Hay Fever
- HIV
- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Infectious Diseases
- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Juvenile Arthritis
- Kawasaki Disease
- Lymphedema
- Lymphoma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tonsillitis
- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
- CPR
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tick Bites
- Toe Injuries and Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
- Chronic Bronchitis
- COPD
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)
- Croup
- E-Cigarettes
- Fistulas
- Flu
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- Legionnaires’ Disease
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping Cough
- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Birth Control
- Chlamydia Infections
- Circumcision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Genital Herpes
- Genital Warts
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes Simplex
- Infertility
- Male Infertility
- Penis Disorders
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Disorders
- Vasectomy
- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
- Bleeding
- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
- Choking
- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Skin Pigmentation Disorders
Summary
Pigmentation means coloring. Skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin. Your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin. Special cells in the skin make 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 a person’s skin. A person with albinism may have no color, lighter than normal skin color, or patchy missing skin color. Infections, blisters and burns can also cause lighter skin.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Patient Handouts
- Abnormally dark or light skin Medical Encyclopedia
- Acanthosis nigricans Medical Encyclopedia
- Albinism Medical Encyclopedia
- Incontinentia pigmenti Medical Encyclopedia
- Incontinentia pigmenti achromians Medical Encyclopedia
- Liver spots Medical Encyclopedia
- Melasma Medical Encyclopedia
- Patchy skin color Medical Encyclopedia
- Urticaria pigmentosa Medical Encyclopedia
Specifics
- Acanthosis Nigricans Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Age Spots American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
- Albinism Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Hyperpigmentation American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
- Incontinentia Pigmenti National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Lentigines American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
- Melasma American Academy of Dermatology
- Pityriasis Alba American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
- Progressive Pigmentary Purpura American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
Images
- Acanthosis Nigricans VisualDX
- Lentigo Simplex VisualDX
- Melasma VisualDX
- Oral Melanotic Macule VisualDX
- Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation VisualDX
- Post-Inflammatory Hypopigmentation VisualDX
Teenagers
- Acanthosis Nigricans Nemours Foundation
- Albinism Nemours Foundation
Children
- Café au Lait Macule VisualDX
- Pityriasis Alba VisualDX
- What Are Freckles? Nemours Foundation
Treatments and Therapies
- Chemical Peels American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
- Dermabrasion American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
- Laser Resurfacing American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
- Melasma: Diagnosis and Treatment American Academy of Dermatology
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperpigmentation National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypopigmentation National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pigmentation Disorders National Institutes of Health
Genetics
- Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Dowling-Degos disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Griscelli syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Histiocytosis-lymphadenopathy plus syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Incontinentia pigmenti: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Legius syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Oculocutaneous albinism: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Piebaldism: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Tietz syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Vici syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Waardenburg syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Xeroderma pigmentosum: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Find an Expert
- Find a Dermatologic Surgeon American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
- Find a Dermatologist American Academy of Dermatology
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Encyclopedia
- McCune-Albright syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
- Paleness Medical Encyclopedia
- Pityriasis alba Medical Encyclopedia
- Waardenburg syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
Living With
- Melasma: Tips for Managing American Academy of Dermatology
Journal Articles
Start Here
- Skin Pigment Merck & Co., Inc.
Diagnosis and Tests
- Wood’s Lamp Examination VisualDX