Melasma

Melasma is a common skin problem. It causes brown to gray-brown patches, usually on the face.

Most people get it on their cheeks, bridge of their nose, forehead, chin, and above their upper lip. It also can appear on other parts of the body that get lots of sun, such as the forearms and neck.

Main cause of Melasma

This means birth control pills, pregnancy, and hormone therapy can all trigger melasma. Stress and thyroid disease are also thought to be causes of melasma. Additionally, sun exposure can cause melasma because ultraviolet rays affect the cells that control pigment.

Why does melasma occur?

When melasma occurs during pregnancy, it is also called chloasma, or “the mask of pregnancy.” Pregnant women experience increased estrogen, progesterone, and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) levels during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Melanocytes are the cells in the skin that deposit pigment

Treatment of Melasma

• Topical agents
• Chemical Peels
• Laser and light-based treatments
  The lesions of melasma are not the only hyperpigmented lesions that are successfully treated with laser and light therapy. Hori’s nevus, which often appears as macular blue-gray lesions in a bilateral facial distribution similar to melasma, has been successfully treated with Q-switched lasers in a handful of studies within the last 2 decades.