What is Melasma and How is it Treated?

Melasma is a medical condition that causes dark brown and gray patches on the face. The dark patches most commonly occur on the forehead, cheeks, and nose. While anyone can get melasma at some point in their life, the condition is much more common in women. Pregnant women are extremely susceptible to getting melasma due to their elevated hormone levels, which has caused many people to regularly refer to the condition as the mask of pregnancy. Melasma poses no long term threat to your health, so there is nothing to worry about if you start to develop the dark patches on your face.

Treatment

Fractional laser resurfacing is a procedure that sends laser energy into the skin. It makes just enough minuscule damage to activate the body’s healing process. This will generate new skin cells to improve a patient’s appearance.

Vitamin C iontophoresis is a non-invasive technique in which Vitamin C is delivered to the target areas. Vitamin C iontophoresis is found in melanin and may be more efficient than sunscreen at protecting the skin, making this an effective technique.

Sun Avoidance

Exposing your skin to the sun after you have melasma will only make the condition worse. This makes sun avoidance a great way to both minimize melasma. The sun rays are the strongest in the early afternoon, so this is the main time you need to do your best to avoid too much sun exposure. Applying sunscreen to your face 20 minutes before going outside will limit the damage done to your skin if exposed to the harmful sun rays.

Return Hormone Levels to Normal

Melasma caused by elevated hormone levels only affects pregnant women or women taking birth control pills. Your hormone levels may return to normal once you give birth or stop taking the birth control pills, which will let your skin tone slowly return to normal.

Schedule a Consultation

While melasma is relatively easy to treat, the time to see optimal results may vary. Once your condition is cured, you need to take special care of your skin to ensure you do not get it again. Contact Metro Dermatology today to schedule a consultation.

Our practice is dedicated to helping patients with their cosmetic needs, and we offer a variety of services including BOTOX®, CO2 fractional resurfacing, acne treatment, laser hair removal, and more to accomplish this. We welcome the opportunity to address any concerns and customize a treatment plan suitable for you.