Melasma: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Medicine
Melasma is an acquired chronic skin disorder associated with increased pigmentation in the skin. It can also be called as Chloasma. It usually occurs on the cheeks and sometimes on other body parts. It can be in pregnant females. It is associated with oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy.
What are the common causes of Melasma?
- It is commonly due to genetic predisposition.
- It can also be triggered by some other factors such as sun exposure, hormonal changes (pregnancy) and other factors including contraceptive pills.
- Melasma is majorly caused by an overproduction of pigment such as melanin by pigment cells in our body commonly called melanocytes.
- It is also caused by an increased amount of melanin in keratinocytes.
- It is also due increase in epidermal melanocytes and dermal melanophages.
What are the main symptoms of Melasma?
- On the cheeks, there is a uniform brown macular area of increased pigmentation.
- Large patches that have irregular borders are usually shown over the skin of the patients.
- Over the skin, there is a presentation of brown macules that are freckle like spots.
- There is a symmetrical distribution of infection all over the skin.
What are common sites affected by Melasma?
The common sites affected by melasma are
- Forehead
- Cutaneous upper lips
- Cheeks
- Neck
- Shoulder
- Upper arms
Treatment and Management of Melasma
What is the best treatment of Melasma?
- Use of high-factor sunscreens is important for patients containing melasma. It should be applied regularly.
- Melasma induced by hormonal or pregnancy therapy may have spontaneous resolution.
- Use of Dipigmentating creams that contains hydroquinone 2-4%. It should be applied twice daily for almost 4-6 months.
- Lifelong protection from skin can also treat melasma.
- Avoid for using contraceptive pills.
- There are topical treatments that inhabit the formation of new melanin. The new melanin includes chemicals such as azelic acid, vitamin C, kojic acid that is a chelating agent, and hydoquinone.
- Laser treatments are also available to cure melasma. But these treatments should be used with caution as the heat produced from laser treatments can cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Hyperpigmentation is actually an increase in circulating hormones usually associated with melanocyte-stimulating activity that commonly occurs in Addison’s disease, hyperthyroidism and acromegaly. Sometime in pregnancy and while containing oral contraceptives there may be increased in melanocytes that further causes overproduction of melanin pigment (pigmentation appears on the forehead and cheeks results in a disease named as Melasma).
Medicines for Melasma
- Sun-screens
- Dipigmentating Creams
