Pitied Keratolysis Treatment Home: What Is Pitted Keratolysis?
What Is Pitched or Pitted Keratinosis?
Pitied keratolysis is a condition where the skin becomes discolored due to exposure to sunlight. The term “keratin” refers to the protein fibers found in human connective tissue (skin). These fibers are made up of long chains of amino acids called peptides. The proteins in your body have many functions, but they do not produce any color when exposed to light. However, if these same proteins are exposed to sunlight, the resulting chemical reaction produces melanin which causes the pigment cells in your skin to become activated and begin producing melanin. Melanin is responsible for causing the dark brownish tinge that most people notice when their skin is exposed to sunlight.
The exact cause of pitied keratolysis is unknown. There are several theories, but no definite answers.
Some believe it may be caused by a genetic predisposition to develop the condition; others think it may be related to sun damage from occupational hazards such as tanning beds; still others suggest that it could result from overexposure to UV radiation during childhood. Other possible causes include exposure to certain chemicals, or even some types of drugs like antibiotics and antifungals.
Pitted Keratolysis Pictures: What Do They Look Like?
In most cases, pitied keratolysis manifests as a dark brownish ring around the outer edge of a person’s fingernails or toenails. The affected area will be darker than the rest of the nail. These bands will be uniform in width around all ten fingers as well as both feet. They may also be found on the lips and around the nostrils but this is very rare.
The dark pigmentation is most obvious on lighter skinned people but may be visible on people with darker complexions as well. The pigmentation can range from a dark brown to black in some cases.
It is not known if the color change is permanent or how long it will take the color to fade.
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Sources & references used in this article:
Pitted keratolysis by N ZAIAS, D TAPLIN, G REBELL – Archives of dermatology, 1965 – jamanetwork.com
Pitted keratolysis by G Singh, CL Naik – Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and …, 2005 – ijdvl.com
Pitted keratolysis by KA Gill, LJ Buckels – Archives of dermatology, 1968 – jamanetwork.com
Pitted keratolysis: clinical manifestations in 53 cases by H Takama, Y Tamada, K Yano, Y Nitta… – British Journal of …, 1997 – Wiley Online Library
Pitted keratolysis: the role of Micrococcus sedentarius by KM Nordstrom, KJ McGinley, L Cappiello… – Archives of …, 1987 – jamanetwork.com
Symptomatic pitted keratolysis by SI Lamberg – Archives of Dermatology, 1969 – jamanetwork.com
Pitted keratolysis and Dermatophilus congolensis by LR Rubel – Archives of dermatology, 1972 – jamanetwork.com
Pitted and ringed keratolysis: a review and update by N Zaias – Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1982 – jaad.org
Plantar hyperhidrosis and pitted keratolysis treated with botulinum toxin injection by BM Tamura, LC Cucé, RL Souza… – Dermatologic surgery, 2004 – journals.lww.com
