Article: Skin Pigmentation. Part 1
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Article: Skin Pigmentation. Part 1
Skin Pigmentation. Part 1
Moles, freckles, birthmarks.Most of us have these formations; they often appear in elaborate patterns on our faces and bodies. However few people know that such "ornaments "are not always harmless.
PIGMENTATION is a change in the color of tissue (hair, skin) caused by coloring agents - pigments. Pigmentation disorder or dyschromia is characterized by darkening or lightening of normal skin color as a result of dysfunction of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes).
Skin color is called constitutional pigmentation; it is defined genetically. Skin color depends on the concentration of four pigments: blue pigment - deoxyhemoglobin, red - oxyhemoglobin, yellow pigment - carotene, which comes into the body with food, brown pigment - melanin. It is melanin that protects skin from harmful solar radiation. Racial skin colors (black, yellow, and white) depend on quantity and distribution of this pigment. Light brown melanin, pheomelanin is typical for fair skinned people; they have small amount of pheomelanin in keratinocytes surrounding melonocytes. Vice versa dark brown melanin, eumelanin is typical for dark skinned people who have large amount if it in keratinocytes. Skin color shades depend on the correlation of light brown pheomelanin and dark brown eumelanin.
Congenital deficiency of pigmentation of skin, hair, iris and the pigment coat of the eye is called albinism. It is considered that albinos have normal amount of melanocytes in their skin; however the cause of the disease is lack (or blocking) of tyrosinase enzyme necessary for melanin synthesis. Unfortunately, albinism cannot be treated.
Apart from constitutional pigmentation there is induced melanin pigmentation, which appears under ultraviolet light. This kind of pigmentation as you've probably guessed is called tanning.
The lighter the skin is the more noticeable the excessive pigmentation like freckles, sun burn, geriatric, hormonal and birth marks. What causes these manifestations? Is there any difference between them and can they be treated? Read more about pigmentation in our next Article issues.
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