Melasma

What do you need to know?

What is Melasma? 

Melasma is a common pigmentary problem in which dark brown and/or blue-grey patches appear on the skin. It is sometimes called the mask of pregnancy because it is often triggered by increased hormones in pregnant women. But while the condition may be common among pregnant women, it isn’t limited to them.

While Melasma isn’t painful and doesn’t present any health risks, it can cause significant emotional distress for those developing these dark patches on their face. Therefore, I wanted to use this opportunity to provide evidence-based clinical updates for our readers to help improve our understanding of the condition and give a summary of available treatment options.

What causes Melasma?

Melasma appears when pigment-producing cells become hyperactive and have too much pigment in some skin regions. Melasma has a lot of different causes. These common factors include sun exposure (UVA, UVB, visible light) and hormones. Fluctuations in certain hormones may cause Melasma, which is why it commonly occurs during pregnancy. Melasma may also occur when you start or stop hormonal contraception, including birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. It may have a genetic component, as it often runs in families.

What does Melasma look like? 

Melasma causes symmetrically distributed brown and/or bluish patches or freckle-like spots on your skin. It frequently involves the face and may affect other sun-exposed areas. similar in looks to brow age spots and freckles, but melasma patches tend to be larger.

How is Melasma diagnosed? 

Your doctor can tell if you have Melasma by looking at your skin. The doctor will examine your skin and take a thorough medical history to determine what’s causing the Melasma.

Many modalities of treatment for Melasma exist; unfortunately, this condition remains a therapeutic challenge due to its chronicity and constant relapses.

What are the treatment options available?

1. Shun the sun! Always protect our skin by using good sunscreen. There are two main types of sunscreens: those that contain chemicals such as oxybenzone and those that use physical blockers such as zinc and titanium dioxide. I recommend choosing a non-chemical, blocking sunscreen because that will stop all the different wavelengths of light from coming through. Today, zinc and titanium dioxide formulas are micronized so they can sink into the skin and don’t cause a greasy, white layer like they used to.
2. Oral medication or topical treatments may help to lighten Melasma. Some commonly used options are topical hydroquinone, which blocks melanin production and topical retinol, to help speed your body’s natural cell turnover process. Other topical skin-lightening agents include azelaic acid, kojic acid, and tranexamic acids.
3. Other treatments sometimes recommended for Melasma include chemical peels, such as glycolic acid and salicylic acid peels. These should be used under a doctor’s care as there is a risk of side effects such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (your pigments may be darker!)
4. Laser treatment and skin micro-needling using devices such as Sylfirm X and Morpheus8. Skin micro-needling has been shown to sustain long-term improvement of that chronic pesky Melasma. Micro-needling is believed to promote fibroblast proliferation and upper dermal collagenases, restoring the basal membrane damage in Melasma. Additionally, a thicker epidermis can promote additional protection against UV damage.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information about Melasma and how we can help. Let us help you to restore radiance, banish blemishes and turn back time!