What is the cause of skin discoloration?

Discolored skin patches commonly develop in a certain part of the body due to a difference in melanin levels (melanin is a substance that gives color to the skin and protects it from the sun). Sometimes you may have darkened skin spots, or whitened. Each of these has its own causes and remedies.

If you have dark skin spots

There are few different hormonal causes for the irregular work of melanin resulting in darkened skin spots. Usually this means that melanin is overproduced in a certain area of the skin.

• Insulin is responsible for lowering the blood sugar levels in your body. Additionally, insulin increases the level of certain hormones called androgens, which are responsible for dark spots on the skin and for acne.

• If your body has excess estrogen that can be the reason for skin discoloration or dark spots, especially if intermittent fasting and a Healthy Keto diet didn’t resolve the skin condition.

• Cortisol is a hormone that is being produced when you are undergoing stress, whether mental or physical. If you have chronic stress, this will cause too-high cortisol, which can result in dark spots on your skin.

If you have white skin spots (tinea versicolor)

White skin patches are caused by the type of fungus that is called tinea versicolor. This fungus causes white/lighter spots on the skin, mainly on the chest and back. It does it by blocking melanin (the substance that is responsible for skin coloration).