Why melasma occurs

Chemical peels should be undertaken by an experienced practitioner as they could make the pigmentation worse, lighten the skin too much or cause scarring. Microneedling is a process where the skin is repeatedly punctured with tiny needles to help creams penetrate deeper into the skin. This may result in pain, swelling, infections and scarring including keloids. Some types of laser also remove the outer layer of skin, whereas others target the pigment-producing cells melanocytes.

The success of laser therapy is variable, and there may be risks associated with this treatment, similar to those above. This procedure should only be performed by a highly experienced laser operator. Chemical peels, microneedling and laser are usually not available as NHS procedures.

You should only seek these procedures from reputable and qualified providers — your NHS doctor should be able to advise on this. Skin camouflage can be used to hide the pigmentation of melasma and has been shown to help improve quality of life.

A health care professional will be able to help you locate a local service. Recently, scientists have found that tranexamic acid a drug usually used to stop bleeding is effective in improving the appearance of melasma in some patients.

The most important thing you can do if you have melasma is to protect your skin from sunlight exposure and avoid the using sunbeds.

The evidence relating to the health effects of serum Vitamin D levels, sunlight exposure and Vitamin D intake remains inconclusive. Avoiding all sunlight exposure if you suffer from light sensitivity, or to reduce the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers, may be associated with Vitamin D deficiency. Individuals avoiding all sun exposure should consider having their serum Vitamin D measured. If levels are reduced or deficient they may wish to consider taking supplementary vitamin D3, micrograms per day, and increasing their intake of foods high in Vitamin D such as oily fish, eggs, meat, fortified margarines and cereals.

Vitamin D3 supplements are widely available from health food shops. This information is provided by the British Association of Dermatologists. Enter your details below to get updates about this condition that may help you or read more on our website if you need further information right now. Melasma Melasma What is melasma? Sign up for latest research introduction. Return to home.

What does it look like? View larger. What causes melasma? What does melasma look like? How is melasma diagnosed? Melasma treatments fall into the following categories and can be used together: Avoiding known triggers, such as birth control pills and hormone therapy. To continue reading this article, you must log in. Already a member? Login ». As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. Recent Blog Articles. Health news headlines can be deceiving. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, only 10 percent of all cases of melasma occur in men. Women with darker complexions and who are pregnant are at greater risk of developing melasma.

Doctors do not fully understand why melasma occurs. It may be due to the malfunction of the melanocytes the color-making cells in the skin, causing them to produce too much color.

As a result, people with darker skin tones are more likely to develop melasma, as they have more melanocytes than people with lighter skin. Also, there may be a genetic component to melasma, as people whose close relatives have experienced melasma are more likely to develop it themselves. The primary symptom of melasma is the development of discolored patches of skin. While it does not cause any other physical symptoms, some people find the appearance of these patches bothersome.

The most common area for patches of melasma to appear is the face. Common locations include the upper lips, bridge of the nose, cheeks, and forehead. Dermatologists find most cases of melasma easy to diagnose during a visual examination. However, since melasma can resemble other skin conditions, a dermatologist may take a small biopsy during the initial visit.

A biopsy involves removing a very small portion of the skin for further examination in a laboratory. If hormonal changes, such as those that occur during pregnancy or while taking birth control pills, have caused melasma, it will fade after delivery or once a person stops taking the pills.

For other people, melasma can last for years or even for the rest of their lives. If melasma does not fade over time, a person can seek treatment to help remove or fade the patches. However, not all treatments work for everyone, and melasma may come back even after successful treatment. Doctors often use hydroquinone as the first line of treatment for melasma.