Prevalence of pigmentary disorders and their impact on quality of life: a prospective cohort study

Summary Background Pigmentary disorders are commonly seen in dermatology practice and can have a negative psychosocial impact on patients. Objective This study aims to examine the prevalence of pigmentary disorders and their level of psychological and physical impact on patients. Methods A prospective cohort study involved a sample of 140 patients undergoing skin exams at a private dermatology practice in North Carolina. Patient demographics and pigmentary diagnoses were obtained, and participants were asked to fill out a skin discoloration impact evaluation questionnaire. Descriptive and frequency analyses were performed. Results Around 80% of the participants were diagnosed with one or more pigmentary disorders. About 47.3% of patients admitted of feeling self‐conscious about their skin to some degree, 21.8% felt others focused on their skin, 32.7% felt unattractive because of their skin, 32.7% put effort into hiding pigment changes, and 23.6% felt their skin affected their activities. A limitation was the lack of diversity in the population studied (gender and skin type). Conclusions Pigmentary disorders such as melasma, vitiligo, and lentigo pose significant negative impact on a person's health‐related quality of life. Hence, there is a need for effective treatments of pigmentary disorders based on their prevalence and effect on quality of life. Healthcare providers should consider the impact of pigmentary disorders on health‐related quality of life and educate patients on possible treatments.