Depigmentation is the lightening of the skin or loss of pigment. Depigmentation of the skin can be caused by a number of local and systemic conditions. The pigment loss can be partial (injury to the skin) or complete (caused by

vitiligo Vitiligo is a disorder that causes the skin to lose its color. Specific causes are unknown but studies suggest a link to immune system changes. Signs and symptoms The only sign of vitiligo is the presence of pale patchy areas of depigmen ...

). It can be temporary (from

tinea versicolor Tinea versicolor (also pityriasis versicolor) is a condition characterized by a skin eruption on the trunk and proximal extremities. The majority of tinea versicolor is caused by the fungus '' Malassezia globosa'', although ''Malassezia furfur'' i ...

) or permanent (from

albinism Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino. Varied use and interpretation of the term ...

). Most commonly, depigmentation of the skin is linked to people born with

, which produces differing areas of light and dark skin.

Monobenzone Monobenzone, also called 4-(Benzyloxy)phenol and monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone (MBEH) is an organic chemical in the phenol family with chemical formula C6H5CH2OC6H4OH. It is used as a topical drug for medical depigmentation. It is a colourless ...

also causes skin depigmentation. Increasingly, people who are not afflicted with vitiligo experiment with lower concentrations of monobenzone creams in the hope of lightening their skin tone evenly. An alternate method of lightening is to use the chemical

mequinol Mequinol, MeHQ or 4-methoxyphenol, is a phenol used in dermatology and organic chemistry. Uses Dermatology Mequinol is a common active ingredient in topical drugs used for skin depigmentation. As a topical drug mequinol is often mixed with treti ...

over an extended period of time. Both monobenzone and mequinol produce dramatic

skin whitening Skin whitening, also known as skin lightening and skin bleaching, is the practice of using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten the skin or provide an even skin color by reducing the melanin concentration in the skin. Several chemicals ha ...

, but react very differently. Mequinol leaves the skin looking extremely pale. However, tanning is still possible. It is important to notice that the skin will not go back to its original color after the none treatment of mequinol. Mequinol should not be used by people that are allergic to any ingredient in mequinol; people that are pregnant; people that have eczema, irritated or inflamed skin; people that have an increased number of white blood cells or people that are sensitive to sunlight or must be outside for prolonged periods of time. Mequinol is used in Europe in concentrations ranging from 2-20% and is approved in many countries for the treatment of solar lentigines. Monobenzone applied topically completely removes pigment in the long term and vigorous sun-safety must to be adhered to for life to avoid severe

sun burn Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and animals include: red or reddish skin that is ho ...

and

melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...

s. People using

monobenzone Monobenzone, also called 4-(Benzyloxy)phenol and monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone (MBEH) is an organic chemical in the phenol family with chemical formula C6H5CH2OC6H4OH. It is used as a topical drug for medical depigmentation. It is a colourless ...

without previously having

do so because standard products containing

hydroquinone Hydroquinone, also known as benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, a derivative of benzene, having the chemical formula C6H4(OH)2. It has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a ''para'' ...

or other lightening agents are not effective for their skin and due to price and active ingredient strength. However, monobenzone is not recommended for skin conditions other than vitiligo. For stubborn pigmented lesions the

Q-switched ruby laser Q-switching, sometimes known as giant pulse formation or Q-spoiling, is a technique by which a laser can be made to produce a pulsed output beam. The technique allows the production of light pulses with extremely high (gigawatt) peak power, much hi ...

cryotherapy Cryotherapy, sometimes known as cold therapy, is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy. Cryotherapy may be used to treat a variety of tissue lesions. The most prominent use of the term refers to the surgical treatment, s ...

or TCA peels can be used to ensure the skin remains pigment-free.

References

Disturbances of pigmentation {{dermatology-stub