Treatment for Melasma

Natural skin lightening products for fading age spots, sun damage, skin discolorations and hyperpigmentation. Try it risk free for 30 days!

You might have seen several women with a splotchy-pigmented complexion. A medical term for this condition is melasma. It is associated with female hormones and an exposure to sunrays. Let’s know more about what is melasma and treatment for melasma.

What is Melasma?

Melasma can be defined as an acquired hypermelanosis of sun-exposed areas. It is also called as chloasma or the mask of pregnancy. Areas such as forehead, cheekbones and upper lip are more prone to developing melasma. However, it can also affect chin, nose, sides of the neck and lower cheeks. It is an acquired condition, characterized by development of brown patches on the skin of face and neck. This condition is more common in women than men. It generally occurs during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Young women with brownish skin tones are at higher risk of developing this disorder. It is not a hazardous disease. But it affects the appearance of a person, about which women are particularly cautious.

Causes of Melasma

Melasma is caused by a combination of hormonal, genetic and sun related factors. It is usually associated with the female hormones. It is more commonly seen in young women taking contraceptive pills and also during pregnancy. It is also found to be associated with hormonal imbalance, menopause and ovarian disorders. It may be triggered by a medication known as phenytoin or tetracycline. A prolonged exposure to sun is also responsible for developing melasma.

Symptoms of Melasma

Melasma causes irregular brown or grayish-brown patches on the skin of face and neck. The brown colored patches are seen on the forehead, nose, cheeks, or upper lips. These patches are observed in a symmetrical pattern. They result from the increased amount of skin pigments, called melanin. In some rare cases, there may be the skin discoloration on both upper arms. There may be epidermal melasma (increased pigments in the epidermis) or dermal melasma (increased pigments present deeply in the dermis), or a combination of both.

Treatment for Melasma

Although melasma is not a harmful disease, it affects the individual’s looks and appearance. It can develop low self-esteem and inferiority complex in women. Hence, it is necessary to get an appropriate treatment for melasma as early as possible. Melasma is generally related to pregnancy and fades gradually after delivery. Similarly, the pigmentation gradually disappears when you discontinue the oral contraceptives. Darkening is likely to reoccur with reintroduction of contraceptive pills or subsequent pregnancy.

There are some effective treatment options for melasma, which help keep the skin tone even and radiant. As an exposure to sunrays is one of the most prominent causes for melasma, use of sunscreens or sunblocks is an important treatment option. You should avoid exposure to ultraviolet light of the sun or tanning booths as much as possible. Depigmenting agents or bleaching creams or vitamin A derivatives are also prescribed to reduce the skin pigmentation. Hydroquinone is the most commonly used agent. It can also be combined with some other agents such as glycolic acid or tretinoin to enhance its effect. Its effect is quite slow and occurs after several months. The skin may become sensitive due to these medications.

Besides the creams, other techniques such as microdermabrasion, chemical peel and laser treatment are also used to treat melasma. A chemical peeling with tri-chloro-acetic (TCA) acid or glycolic acid could give rapid results. You should keep in mind, the treatment for melasma is slow and takes several months for the desired results. The effectiveness of treatment depends upon the depth of pigmentation. Epidermal melasma can be more successfully treated than dermal melasma.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Technorati Tags: dermal melasma, facial pigmentation, melasma cure, treat melasma