Diagnosis | Pigment disorder on the forehead

Diagnosis

Although most forms of pigmentation disorders of the forehead have no disease value whatsoever and therefore do not require medical treatment, the assessment by a physician can be useful in many cases. In the case of a pigment disorder on the forehead, the doctor will first examine the area of skin affected by the skin changes. In most cases, the exact form of the pigment disorder can already be diagnosed by looking at the forehead.

In case of doubt, the medical history of the affected person can help to narrow down the possible causes for the appearance of the pigment disorder. If there is a suspicion that the pigment disorder on the forehead is a malignant skin change, a tissue sample should be taken and examined microscopically (biopsy). Since pigment disorders of the forehead can often be observed in several family members, an inherited component cannot be ruled out.

In this context, a comprehensive family history can help to identify the exact form of the pigment disorder. A pigment disorder of the forehead is in many cases completely harmless and does not require medical treatment. Nevertheless, it should be noted that special forms of pigment disorder of the forehead can negatively influence the natural function of the skin surface.

Depigmentation associated with reduced melanin storage, for example, can cause UV radiation to penetrate unhindered into the deeper skin layers. As the protective function of the skin surface can therefore no longer be maintained, preventive treatment should be considered. This means above all that the affected area of skin on the forehead should be protected from UV radiation with appropriate products.

In addition, affected persons should avoid direct sunlight at all costs. This applies especially to the use of solariums or sunbathing. Beyond that there are other reasons, which let the treatment of an actually harmless pigment disturbance on the forehead, appear meaningful.

Above all, the personal perception of the affected person plays a decisive role. Many people find a pigment disorder on the forehead for aesthetic reasons to be psychologically stressful. The most suitable treatment strategy depends on both the type and the cause of the pigment disorder on the forehead.

If a pigment disorder of the forehead is caused by medication, no special treatment is usually required. The skin change usually recedes of its own accord after the causative medication has been discontinued. However, this process can take several months.

In addition, people who suffer from a pronounced pigment disorder on the forehead can cover up the troublesome skin symptoms with the help of cosmetics. Minor skin changes can be covered with so-called camouflage cream. For larger skin areas, on the other hand, skin-lightening agents (in the case of hyperpigmentation) or self-tanning agents (in the case of hypopigmentation) must often be used.A particularly pronounced pigment disorder, which manifests itself as hypopigmentation or depigmentation on the forehead, must in many cases be treated with bleaching agents.

Hydroquinone, in particular, is said to help adjust the different skin colors. However, affected persons should note in this context that this process cannot be reversed. For this reason, the application of a bleaching agent in the case of a pigment disorder on the forehead should only be carried out after careful consideration by an experienced specialist (dermatologist).

In addition, after the treatment of a pigment disorder on the forehead with the help of a bleaching agent, irregular bleaching spots may occur. Persons suffering from a pigment disorder in the form of hypopigmentation or depigmentation may also try local irradiation of the skin change. In this treatment method, the affected area of skin on the forehead is specifically irradiated with special light by the doctor.

The effect of the light pulses stimulates both the formation and the storage of color pigments (repigmentation). In most cases, this treatment method takes several months. However, initial progress can usually be observed after a few weeks. Irradiation for the treatment of a pigmentation disorder on the forehead is mainly used in the context of white spot disease (vitiligo). However, this method cannot be used for persons suffering from albinism.