Is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation safe in skin of colour?

The marks form when skin makes extra pigment after acne, eczema, a rash, a burn, or another irritation. They can look brown, grey, or darker than the surrounding skin, and may remain after the original problem has settled. Skin of colour can show these marks more visibly, so a small flare may leave a noticeable change.

The pigment itself is not an infection and does not spread through the body. Its presence does not tell you how serious the original irritation was. A new, changing, bleeding, or very different-looking mark may be another skin problem and should be assessed rather than assumed to be post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Stop picking, scrubbing, or using several strong products on the mark. A gentle cleanser, moisturiser, and broad-spectrum sunscreen can reduce ongoing irritation and help prevent the colour from deepening. Treat active acne, dermatitis, or another trigger with advice suited to your skin.

A clinician may suggest a pigment treatment after checking the cause and your skin’s response to irritation. Introduce one product at a time, follow the instructions, and stop if burning, swelling, blistering, or a worsening rash develops. Procedures that deliberately irritate skin need careful selection in skin of colour.

Seek medical advice if the mark appeared without a clear preceding irritation, continues changing, becomes painful, bleeds, crusts, or is accompanied by a spreading rash. Arrange a review when repeated inflammation is leaving new marks, because controlling the trigger is often more useful than treating pigment alone.

Ask what caused the inflammation, whether the colour change fits post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and which treatment is least likely to irritate your skin. You can also ask how to patch-test a product and what symptoms should prompt you to stop it.