Melasma

What You Can Do About Melasma

Melasma is a skin condition that appears as brown spots on the face, usually covering the forehead, cheeks, nose and upper lip on women. Women who have a normal skin tone of light brown and darker are more prevalent to see this condition develop, especially if they live in tropical climes that see a lot of sunshine. It is easily treatable through simple cosmetic procedures, and in this article, we will cover the causes and treatment options available to you.

If you have noticed uniform brown spots appearing on your face, you may have Melasma. All of us at True MD want to see your skin as healthy as it can be; call us today for an immediate consultation.

What Causes Melasma

Melasma often occurs in women who have an overabundance of the hormones estrogen or progesterone. Young women who are pregnant or are on birth control pills will develop this discoloration of the skin most often, but older women can have it occur as a side effect of undergoing hormone replacement therapy. The excess hormones trigger a hyper-pigmentation of the skin, causing uniform brown spots to appear on both sides of the face.

Taking hormone-related medications and being exposed to the sun for long periods of time can also trigger this condition. Using the proper sunscreen while undergoing hormone therapy, being pregnant or taking birth control pills is always recommended, and can go a long way in preventing this skin pigmentation from occurring.

Melasma Diagnosis

There are a host of other conditions that can cause similar discoloration of the skin, so some very specific tests will have to be made before a doctor can determine whether or not you have this particular skin disorder. The most prevalent test is for the doctor to use a device known as a Wood’s Lamp. This is an ultraviolet light that is used to scan the skin for bacteria, fungus, and other material that may be causing the discoloration.

Before undergoing this exam, leave off using any topical creams or solutions you may normally use on your skin for at least a day. Soaps, cleansers and other preparations could leave behind trace material that could cause a false negative result, and hide the true problem that is causing the discoloration. Once a doctor has determined what is causing your condition, treatment can begin.

Melasma Treatment

This is not a difficult condition to treat. Treatments such as dermabrasion and laser resurfacing are normally used to treat Melasma because of their unique skin resurfacing potential. There is also topical creams that can be used to enhance the surgical effects, if need be. These creams will normally contain a mixture of tretinoin, kojic acid, and azelaic acid that will improve the overall appearance of the skin. There is also a chance that it will fade on its own, once hormonal balance has been restored.