What does dark patches on skin feel like with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation?

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is extra colour left after inflammation or injury, such as acne, eczema, a rash, a burn, or a healing scratch. The patch is commonly flat and smooth, with no separate lump beneath it. It may look tan, brown, grey-brown, or deeper than your usual skin tone, depending on your natural colouring and the depth of pigment.

The original irritation may have caused itching, tenderness, warmth, scaling, or soreness; those sensations usually belong to the earlier problem rather than the pigment itself. A patch can remain visible after the skin feels settled. Colour may appear stronger after sun exposure, while the surrounding skin changes less.

Avoid picking, scrubbing, or repeatedly irritating the area, because fresh inflammation can deepen the colour. Use gentle cleansing and protect exposed skin from sunlight with shade, clothing, and a broad-spectrum sunscreen suitable for you. Keep a simple record of whether the patch is fading, spreading, or changing texture. A clinician can first identify the trigger and then discuss options such as prescription creams or procedures when appropriate.

Arrange an assessment if a patch is new and unexplained, rapidly changing, bleeding, crusting, persistently painful, or developing a firm or raised area. Seek prompt medical advice when colour change follows a severe reaction, infection, or wound that is not healing. These warning features need assessment because pigment alone does not explain every dark mark.

Ask what inflammation may have started the colour change, whether the surface is truly flat, and which ingredients or treatments could irritate your skin. You can also ask how to protect the area from sunlight, what improvement to expect over time, and which changes should bring you back sooner.