Post-inflammatory Pigmentation in Garden City, Long Island

Applied Aesthetic offers advanced cosmetic dermatology services to men and women located in New York. Led by board-certified Nurse Practitioner, Natalie Sharp, Applied Aesthetic is proud to offer cutting-edge minimally invasive and non-surgical dermatology treatments to residents of Long Island, Queens, Valley Stream, Garden City, and the neighboring communities of New York.

WHAT IS POSTINFLAMMATORY PIGMENTATION?

Postinflammatory pigmentation is temporary pigmentation that follows injury (eg, a thermal burn) or inflammatory disorder of the skin (eg, dermatitis, infection). It is mostly observed in darker skin types (see ethnic dermatology). Postinflammatory pigmentation is also called acquired melanosis.

More severe injury results in postinflammatory hypopigmentation, which is usually permanent.

Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation follows damage to the epidermis and/or dermis with deposition of melanin within the keratinocytes (skin cells) and/or dermis.

Inflammation in the epidermis stimulates melanocytes to increase melanin synthesis and to transfer the pigment to surrounding keratinocytes (epidermal melanosis). If the basal layer is injured (e.g. lichen planus), melanin pigment is released and subsequently trapped by macrophages in the papillary dermis (dermal melanosis or pigment incontinence).