Melasma on the face is a type of dark spots that can occur on various parts of your face. Melasma dark spots are different from other dark spots because they might take more time to disappear.
The dark patches you see in melasma are blotchy dark patches.
Today we will some important points on how to get rid of melasma and what are the best treatments for melasma on face.
According to the medical expert, melasma occurs when the colour making cells (melanocytes) start producing more dark pigment than normal.
This overproduction of dark pigment leads to melasma symptoms like grey-brown patches on your skin. Melasma occurs on various parts of the face like chin, bridge of the nose, upper lip, cheeks and forehead.
Melasma on face is common than other parts of your body, but melasma spots can also occur over your neck and forearms because of the excess sun exposure.
However, anyone can face melasma problem but people with dark skin are more likely to develop melasma problem because their skin has an excess amount of active melanocytes compared to fair skin people.
Genetics, family history and hormones lead to these types of skin problems. Therefore, you need the best treatment for melasma to cure this problem. When harmful ultraviolet rays prompt melanocytes this leads to more melanin production and therefore in summers you melasma symptoms can become worse.
However, the cause behind the melasma on face is not clear but as per medical expert and cases, melasma occurs due to hormonal changes especially in pregnant women. During pregnancy, a female body goes through many hormonal changes, and therefore developing melasma during the pregnancy period is common in women.
If a pregnant woman is taking some kind of hormonal replacement therapy and birth control pills, this may lead to melasma on face on some parts that are more exposed to sun compare to other parts.
According to the doctor Zeichner, “Melasma is referred to as the ‘mask of pregnancy,’ as women commonly develop it for the first time or experience worsening melasma while they are pregnant.”
According to Dr. Zeichner, melasma can also occur due to imbalance of hormones or increased in hormones and increased production of melanin. “We don’t know how the process works that leads to it.”
How to Whether it is Melasma or not?
One of the best ways to understand the melasma on face or some other part of your body is to consult a doctor. Because melasma symptoms like dark spots can occur due to other health problem like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation due to acne and liver spots known as solar lentigines. To avoid this confusion, it is better to consult a doctor and then find the best treatment for melasma.
The doctor might suggest a biopsy and do some skin examination to understand the condition. The doctors use some devices also to understand the symptoms of melasma and to examine your skin condition like a wood’s light. This light shines UV light on your skin to understand the amount of melasma and how deep it goes in your skin.
What are the best treatments for melasma?
In most of the cases, melasma disappears after some time, but if it does not, there are some creams and topical treatments that can help to cure melasma dark spots.
Females who suffer from melasma on face because of the consumption of birth control pills and pregnancy, in such cases also melasma disappear on its own after delivery and after you stop taking birth control pills.
In case, the cause of melasma is due to something else, and you can’t stop your birth control pills then there are some other best treatments for melasma.
- Hydroquinone this is used to lighten the dark spots of melasma and help to balance the melanin production in the affected area.
- Then there are creams with triple combination therapy. This cream contains tretinoin, corticosteroid and hydroquinone and all these three ingredients help to suppress melanin synthesis and also help to reduce the inflammation and melanocytes activities.
- Also, the doctor will tell you some preventive steps and measures to avoid while your melasma treatment is going on.
- Then, there are other treatments like chemical peel, light-based procedure, dermabrasion, laser treatment and microdermabrasion treatment to reduce the dark spot to occur because of melasma.
- To find the best treatment for melasma is important but what is even more important is to be consistent with your melasma treatment. The treatment for melasma might take months, but you need to be persistent to cure it completely.
- Also, keep a check in your everyday skincare routine or the products you are using because wrong products may lead to worse your melasma condition. If you are not sure about the products, you are using you can also ask your skin specialist regarding the products you should use on your skin.
- Do not forget to use sun protection cream because as we informed you earlier in this blog, exposure to the sun can make your melasma symptoms even worse. Even if your skin is exposed to a low level of harmful UV light, this can stimulate melanocytes and increase the symptoms of melasma.
Therefore, avoid going out in the sun when the sun is harsh, and in case, it is important to go out, never forget to use sunscreen.
These are the best treatment for melasma, and to reduce the symptoms of melasma.