Women who have medium to dark skin tones are most likely to develop melasma. When melasma appears, it can cause tan, brown, grayish brown, or bluish gray patches and freckle-like spots. These usually appear on certain areas of face like the cheeks, forehead, chin, and even above the upper lip.
"Hyperpigmentation is usually very focused, whereas melasma appears as broad patches with intervening areas of clearing," says Anthony Rossi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Melasma also tends to be more symmetrical.
Hydrocortisone (a topical corticosteroid): Hydrocortisone helps fade the color caused by melasma. It can also lessen the likelihood of dermatitis that may be caused by other agents. Hydroquinone: This medication is applied as a cream or lotion. It goes directly onto the melasma patches at night for two to four months.
Some cases of melasma can be mistaken for freckles as it can also form small spots on the skin. However, melasma patches are typically larger than the usual sun spots, freckles, and age spots. Women are more likely to develop patches of skin discoloration than men.
Historically, melasma has been classified as having three histologic variants: epidermal, dermal, and mixed [1].
Stress causes the body to make more of the hormone cortisol. An increase in cortisol may trigger melasma. Tanning beds: A tanning bed or sunlamp tends to produce stronger ultraviolet (UV) rays than sunlight. When you expose your skin to UV light, it triggers the body to produce more pigment.
Melasma may go away on its own. This usually happens when a trigger, such as pregnancy or a medication, causes melasma.
Conclusions: Full-face iontophoresis of vitamin C appears to be an effective short-term treatment for melasma and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. A protocol of strict sun avoidance in combination with a mandelic/malic acid skin care regimen appears to be useful in maintaining the improvement.
When melasma appears, it can cause tan, brown, grayish brown, or bluish gray patches and freckle-like spots. These usually appear on certain areas of face like the cheeks, forehead, chin, and even above the upper lip. While less common, melasma can develop on the arms, neck, or elsewhere.
Melasma is often associated with the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. It is common in: Pregnant women. Women taking birth control pills (oral contraceptives)
You're more likely to get melasma if you have a darker skin type, probably because your skin naturally has more active pigment-producing cells, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Melasma appears when these cells become hyperactive and produce too much pigment in certain areas of the skin.
The triple combination, hydroquinone 4%, tretinoin 0.05%, and fluocinolone acetonide 0.01% (Triluma, Galderma, Ft. Worth Texas, often modified incorporating different corticosteroids) remains the only US FDA-approved treatment for melasma and is the gold standard due its demonstrated efficacy across ethnicities.
It can also affect other areas of the body exposed to the sun, such as the forearms and neck. Areas of melasma are flat, not raised.
Melasma has a strong correlation with hormonal changes, such as pregnancy, menopause and oral contraceptives. Sun spots, on the other hand, develop closer to the surface of the skin and are therefore much easier to treat than melasma.
Foods high in glycemic index (GI), such as refined carbohydrates and sugary foods, can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels. This can trigger hormonal changes in the body, including increased insulin production and inflammation, which may worsen melasma symptoms.
Melasma is a common skin condition that causes brown or grey patches on the face, usually on the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip. It can be triggered by various things, such as sun exposure, hormonal changes, and, yes, you guessed it, stress.
The most commonly used treatments for melasma are skin lightening medications that are applied topically. These include medications such as hydroquinone, azelaic acid, kojic acid, niacinamide, cysteamine, rucinol, and tranexamic acid.
The problem is that even when the patchy hyperpigmentation has been evened out, the patient may still have high levels of melanin in the skin, which make it prone to overreacting to sun exposure. This means that it is not really possible to 'cure' melasma.
The liver is responsible for many things in your body, including regulating hormones, and since Melasma is likely caused by an imbalance in hormones the liver should be healed before one can expect to see a change in melasma spots on the face.
Melasma is a common skin condition in which brown patches appear on the skin. Melasma most often affects the skin on the face. It can also develop on the forearms and neck. Melasma is not a serious condition.
Melasma is a common skin problem caused by brown to gray-brown patches on the face. Most people get it on their cheeks, chin, nose bridge, forehead, and above the upper lip. It is more common in women than men. Pregnancy is a common cause of melasma.
What Are The Types Of Melasma? Melasma can be categorized as “epidermal” or “dermal”, or mixed. Epidermal melasma means the pigment (melanin) is in the more superficial layers of the skin called the epidermis. Dermal melasma means that the pigment is in the deeper layers of the skin.
Melasma and Malnutrition. While melasma most often develops after prolonged sun exposure or during pregnancy due to fluctuating hormone levels, it may also be a sign of malnutrition or liver disease. Studies have linked melasma to people with poor liver function, vitamin B12 deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.