Hyperpigmentation of the skin is a common complaint among patients consulting with dermatologists. The majority of the world's population is brown-skinned, and an enormous amount of interest worldwide is focused on restoring hyperpigmented skin to its natural color by skin care specialists. Treatment of hyperpigmentation disorders, however, is often difficult and prolonged, requiring a great deal of patience and knowledge of a variety of therapeutic modalities to achieve success. Over the past decade, a variety of new treatments have been developed for disorders of hyperpigmentation.