Shereene IdrissBoard Certified Derm, Founder and Chief Nerd

Hyperpigmentation vs. Redness #shorts

20 Mar 2023 · 1 min

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0:38

A short YouTube skincare demonstration (by clinician Shereene Idriss) showing how to differentiate true brown hyperpigmentation from underlying redness. The presenter uses a small glass to press on a volunteer's skin (diascopy): areas that fade with pressure are vascular/redness, while brown spots (hyperpigmentation) remain. The clip references acne scarring and common patient confusion about dark spots versus redness.

Chapters

Now, this little piece of glass is going to help you differentiate from hyperpigmentation versus redness. And that is a common mistake I see every single day in my practice. People can't tell the difference on themselves, whether or not they have dark spots or just underlying redness. Let's go on this volunteer over here. We can see some old acne scar and what appears as redness, But I was told their main complaint was darkness. So taking my trusted glass, you see, it fades with pressure, and that means that it's really underlying. And I'm going to add a bit more redness, except for that little guy, which is a brown spot.