Medication
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. But it can affect your appearance and the way you feel about it. What causes melasma? Doctors don’t know exactly what causes melasma.
Therapy
There are two main causes of melasma: radiation, whether ultraviolet, visible light, or infrared (heat) light; and hormones. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation from the sun are key in making melasma worse. Other possible causes of melasma include:
Self-care
Melasma can fade on its own. This usually happens when a trigger, such as a pregnancy or birth control pills, causes the melasma. When a woman delivers her baby or stops taking the birth control pills, melasma can fade. However, some people have melasma for years, or even a lifetime.
Nutrition
What is melasma and how is it treated?
What are the causes of melasma?
Can melasma fade on its own?
What causes melasma treatment?
There are two main causes of melasma: radiation, whether ultraviolet, visible light, or infrared (heat) light; and hormones. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation from the sun are key in making melasma worse.
What is the permanent cure for melasma?
Doctors often use hydroquinone as the first line of treatment for melasma. Hydroquinone is available as a lotion, cream, or gel. It works by lightening the color of the skin patches. A person can apply the hydroquinone product directly to the patches of skin that are discolored or uneven.
What vitamin causes melasma?
Abstract: Background — Melasma is a chronic acquired localized hypermelanosis, causing aesthetic problem for women and impairing their quality of life. Evidence has suggested that hyperpigmentation can occur as a result of iron deficiency anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency.
What is the best medical treatment for melasma?
Triple combination cream (hydroquinone, tretinoin, and corticosteroid) remains the most effective treatment for melasma, as well as hydroquinone alone. Chemical peels and laser- and light-based devices have mixed results. Oral tranexamic acid is a promising new treatment for moderate and severe recurrent melasma.
What is the best soap for melasma?
The best facial scrub for melasma is Pidanti Smoothing Polish Face and Body Scrub, which gently removes dead skin cells and leaves a smooth, even-toned appearance.
What vitamins are good for melasma?
Conclusions: Full-face iontophoresis of vitamin C appears to be an effective short-term treatment for melasma and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Which cream is best for melasma?
Plus the 4 best melasma creamsThis Melasma Cream with Azelaic Acid and Arbutin. SkinCeuticals Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment. ... This Melasma Cream with Arbutin and Vitamin C. Obagi Medical Nu-Derm Clear Fx. ... This Melasma Cream with Azelaic Acid and Glycolic Acid. ... This Melasma Cream with Niacinamide and Kojic Acid.
What foods make melasma worse?
Some foods contain chemical hormones that can aggravate hormone-triggered hyperpigmentation. Examples of foods that contain potentially hyperpigmentation-causing hormones are soy products, black beans, flaxseed and chickpeas, all of which contain estrogen.
Can lemon juice remove melasma?
Lemon is also known as a natural bleaching agent. All you have to do is apply lemon juice on the affected areas and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water. Do this twice a day and you will see a noticeable difference in 3 weeks.
How can I remove melasma permanently at home?
Apple cider vinegarCombine equal parts apple cider vinegar and water in a container.Apply to your dark patches and leave on two to three minutes.Rinse using lukewarm water.Repeat twice daily you achieve the results you desire.
Does vitamin C help with melasma?
Vitamin C for Melasma Vitamin C is an effective natural melasma treatment as it is a tyrosinase inhibitor - one of the most common skincare ingredients to treat pigmentation. Tyrosinase is the enzyme the body needs to make melanin pigment, so when you inhibit tyrosinase, you can lighten the skin.
How can I treat melasma at home?
Here are 5 expert-backed home remedies to cure melasma:Aloe vera gel. Aloe vera is known to relieve many inflammation issues in the skin. ... Lemon juice. Lemon juice helps to treat melasma similar to that of apple cider vinegar. ... Black tea. Black tea water can be used as a spot-lightening treatment. ... Turmeric. ... Tomato.
How often does melasma occur?
It usually starts between 20 and 40 years of age. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.
Where does melasma appear?
Melasma appears most commonly on your cheeks, nose, chin, above the upper lip and the forehead. It sometimes affects your arms, neck and back. In fact, melasma can affect any part of your skin that is exposed to sunlight. That’s why most people with melasma notice that their symptoms worsen during the summer months.
How long does it take for melasma to go away?
Melasma is typically a chronic disorder. This means that it’s long-lasting (three months or more). Depending on the person, melasma may go away on its own, it may be permanent, or it may respond to treatment.
What does it mean when you have a dark brown spot on your face?
Melasma is a common skin disorder. Loosely translated, the word means “black spot.”. If you have melasma you’re probably experiencing light brown, dark brown and/or blue-gray patches on your skin. They can appear as flat patches or freckle-like spots. Commonly affected areas include your face, including the cheeks, upper lip and forehead, ...
What color is melasma?
Epidermal: Epidermal melasma has a dark brown color, a well-defined border, appears obvious under black light and sometimes responds well to treatment. Dermal: Dermal melasma has a light brown or bluish color, a blurry border, appears no differently under black light and doesn’t respond well to treatment.
Why do I have brown spots on my face?
It’s often called the “mask of pregnancy.”. Melasma happens because of overproduction of the cells that make the color of your skin. It is common, harmless and some treatments may help.
Why does my skin turn dark?
Your epidermis contains cells called melanocytes that store and produce a dark color (pigment) known as melanin. In response to light, heat, or ultraviolet radiation or by hormonal stimulation, the melanocytes produce more melanin, and that’s why your skin darkens.
What is the best treatment for melasma?
Hydroquinone: This medicine is a common first treatment for melasma. It is applied to the skin and works by lightening the skin. You will find hydroquinone in medicine that comes as a cream, lotion, gel, or liquid. You can get some of these without a prescription.
How to prevent melasma from returning?
Maintenance therapy can prevent melasma from returning. You can help prevent your melasma from returning by wearing sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat every day.
What is the best medicine for skin lightening?
These products contain less hydroquinone than a product that your dermatologist can prescribe. Tretinoin and corticosteroids: To enhance skin lightening, your dermatologist may prescribe a second medicine. This medicine may be tretinoin or a corticosteroid.
How to diagnose melasma?
Dermatologists can diagnose most patients by looking at their skin. To see how deeply the melasma penetrates the skin, your dermatologist may look at your skin under a device called a Wood’s light. Sometimes melasma can look like another skin condition.
What is the procedure for melasma?
Procedures for melasma include a chemical peel, microdermabrasion, dermabrasion, laser treatment, or a light-based procedure. Only a dermatologist should perform these procedures. New skin problems can occur when the person who gives the treatment does not tailor it to the patient’s skin type.
What is the procedure called when you remove a small bit of skin?
To rule out another skin condition, your dermatologist may need to remove a small bit of skin. This procedure is called a skin biopsy. A dermatologist can safely and quickly perform a skin biopsy during an office visit.
Can melasma fade?
Melasma can fade on its own. This usually happens when a trigger, such as a pregnancy or birth control pills, causes the melasma . When a woman delivers her baby or stops taking the birth control pills, melasma can fade. However, some people have melasma for years, or even a lifetime.
Why do people have melasma?
People with skin of color are more prone to melasma because they have more active melanocytes than people with light skin.
Why does melasma return?
In fact, just a small amount of sun exposure can make melasma return after fading. Sun exposure is why melasma often is worse in summer. It also is the main reason why many people with melasma get it again and again. A change in hormones: Pregnant women often get melasma.
What is a melasma mask?
When melasma appears in pregnant women, it is called chloasma, or the mask of pregnancy. Birth control pills and hormone replacement medicine also can trigger melasma. Skin care products: If a product irritates your skin, melasma can worsen.
Which ethnicity is more likely to get melasma?
People with darker skin, such as those of Latin/Hispanic, North African, African-American, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, or Mediterranean descent are more likely to get melasma. People who have a blood relative who had melasma also are much more likely to get melasma.
