While hyperpigmentation is common, not all dark spots are created equal. Dr. Henry told POPSUGAR there are two main types of it that appear in skin of colour: post-inflammatory erythema (AKA PIE, which manifests as redness from inflammation by trauma to the skin, like damaged capillaries or blood vessels) and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (AKA PIH, the dark pigment that comes from inflammation from a pimple).
"The key to knowing which one it is depends on the colour of the mark," she said. "You can very well have both. It is harder to see PIE on dark skin than PIH. If your complexion is very light, you might have some redness, but you're likely also going to have some hyperpigmentation due to the overproduction of melanin in African American skin."
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Diggy Lloyd