How do you treat skin discolouration and what causes it?

Published: May 2025

Skin discolouration occurs when the colour of your skin appears to be different from what your skin normally looks like. As such, this may not look the same for everyone experiencing skin discolouration. Learn the causes, symptoms and treatment options for skin discolouration below.

As mentioned above, skin discolouration typically looks like a patch of skin on the body that may have a different skin tone to the rest of your body. These patches of discoloured skin can be various colours depending on your natural skin tone, such as brown, white, purple, black, red or pink.

Skin discolouration can be caused by melanin production, depending on the type. Melanin is a natural pigment produced by cells called melanocytes in the skin, hair, and eyes. It gives colour to these areas and helps protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation by absorbing and dissipating it. However, cells containing melanin can sometimes get damaged and cause too little or too much melanin to be produced. As such, this means that if the body produces too much melanin, your skin can get darker. If your body produces too little melanin, your skin can become lighter.

Normally, skin discolouration is harmless and can be treated by identifying the trigger for it. The causes of skin discolouration can range from minor issues to more serious medical conditions such as:

Melasma, albinism, vitiligo and age spots are all pigmentation disorders that can cause skin discolouration on the body. These types of skin pigmentation disorders all have varying degrees of treatment, as some like vitiligo is an autoimmune condition whereas albinism is genetically passed down. Melasma and age spots are typically treated with topical creams.

Contact dermatitis triggered by being allergic to things like soaps, makeup, poison ivy and laundry detergent can all cause eczema rashes to occur. This can then lead to your skin becoming dry, scaly and itchy as well as discoloured over time. Other forms include atopic dermatitis (eczema) and hives.

These are harmless marks that are typically found at or shortly after birth. Some birthmarks will remain the same throughout the course of your life, others may fade over time. Most birthmarks will not need to be treated; however, some may need to be if your doctor feels it could affect your health.

Harmful bacteria, viruses or fungi can all cause skin discolouration. Tinea versicolor, for example, are patches of discoloured skin that are caused by a yeast infection which can only be treated with topical or oral antifungal medication.

This can develop from damaged skin cells that later become malignant (cancerous). Often, long term sun damage or exposure to chemicals can increase the risk of skin cancer and damaging of skin cells. As such, cancer can change the skin’s colour or texture as a result.

Exposure to the sun can pose a risk to the skin, which is why it’s important to ensure your skin is protected with a strong sunscreen. Sunburn can cause the skin to appear red or pink in the short term, however, it can lead to dark spots appearing after the skin heals.

Typically, conditions such as psoriasis, Graves’ disease and rosacea can all cause skin discolouration on the body.

A medical professional or doctor will be able to identify skin discolouration by simple observation of the affected area. However, to find out the cause, they may ask additional questions such as how it feels with or without touch and whether there are any other symptoms you’ve noticed. Your doctor may also:

• Order blood work for further analysis and to rule out any other conditions.
• Take a biopsy of your skin to examine under a microscope.

Treating skin discolouration depends on the cause, as for certain medical conditions for example, it may be a case of treating the underlying cause to fix discoloured skin. However, conditions like melasma, pigmented skin or age spots can be helped with specific skincare products designed to reduce the appearance of discoloured skin.

For skin discoloration caused by hyperpigmentation, the Eucerin Anti-Pigment range has been formulated specifically to mitigate against dark patches of skin. Thiamidol is a patented ingredient, developed and engineered by Eucerin, which is clinically and dermatologically proven to reduce pigment spots and prevent their reappearance.

The Eucerin Anti-Pigment Cleansing Gel is designed to combat hyperpigmentation and actively works to reduce dark spots when used in conjunction with the Anti-Pigment Dual Serum. Suitable for all skin tones, the Cleansing Gel contains lactic and glycolic acids that exfoliate dead skin cells for renewed-looking skin.

As mentioned above, the Anti Pigment Dual Serum works to reduce hyperpigmentation and effectively reduces pigment spots whilst simultaneously prevents their re-appearance. The serum contains Thiamidol and concentrated Hyaluronic Acid for even and radiant skin.

For day-to-day protection, the Anti-Pigment Day Cream SPF 30 is ideal for protecting the skin against future sun-induced spots with UVA/UVB protection, while effectively reducing all types of dark spots and prevents their re-appearance.

For nighttime routines, the Anti-Pigment Night Cream is a regenerating night cream including Thiamidol for even, radiant skin. This cream supports overnight skin cell renewal and helps to reduce all types of dark spots.

For more information about the efficacy of our products, proven results and real people sharing their experiences with our Anti-Pigment Range, click here.

Always seek medical advice if you think the affected area is caused by a serious condition.

Sometimes, skin discolouration cannot be entirely prevented, as they can often be due to genetics or autoimmune disorders. However, if skin discolouration on the skin is caused by a condition or infection, you may find it useful to take precautions to ensure that it doesn’t return after treatment. For example, ensuring your skin is protected from things that may irritate your skin is a good first step, as well as practicing good hygiene to limit the risk of infections. Other steps to protect your skin from discolouration include:

• Always use sunscreen when outside
  
• Wearing loose clothing to limit irritation to the skin
• Avoid sunbeds or staying out in the sun for too long (especially not in the hours of 10am to 4pm when UV rays are strongest)