Half of pubic region discolored

I have a rather unusual skin discoloration of the pubic region. Half of it is darker than the other...the split down the middle is rather blotchy and poorly defined. What I find most unusual is that it's nearly perfect in how it's unilateral...with the exception of the blotchiness "spilling over" into the lighter region.

A bit of a background: I had dark blotches of a similar appearance on my abdomen and under my arms when I was overweight. After considering the possibility of acanthosis nigricans I had gone from 227 to 193 in three months and these dark regions have disappeared completely, leaving the skin feeling much smoother and healthier. However, my pubic region remains discolored. I am not sure how long it has been discolored, as I had only recently began shaving the region free of pubic hairs.

The darker region of the pubic area does not have the rough and dry texture my other blotches had. Can this still be acanthosis nigricans that has not yet cleared up? The problem is largely cosmetic and unsightly in nature, the skin otherwise feels completely normal.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It looks like hyperpigmentation skin. This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin color, forms deposits in the skin.

Treatment involves hydroquinone, azelaic acid, corticosteroids, tretinoin cream and laser treatment. Please discuss these options with your dermatologist before using them. It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.