What You Need To Know About Melasma
Women are more known to suffer from Melasma than men. Overexposure to the sun will result in obtaining dark skin pigmentation on the face. Various levels of discoloration on the face are commonly diagnosed as Melasma or Chloasma. Most experts believe that this kind of skin condition is related to female hormones such as Estrogen and Progesterone. Pregnancy is a common stage in women where they will experience various hormonal instabilities which may result in Chloasma. Most women will experience having “the mask of pregnancy” with noticeable darker skin patches on the face. Oral contraceptives are also known to cause the Pregnancy mask. Those that have darker skin types are most likely to have Melasma.
Men are less subjected to have Melasma than women as verified in most clinical studies. Most will experience Chloasma during the reproductive period. Facial hyper pigmentation is a usual term for Melasma. Excessive exposure to the sun is proven to be one of the main reasons behind Melasma. Chloasma may also be genetically passed on in the family.
Melasma has several known types. Epidermal Melasma is the mildest condition which affects the outer layer of the skin. Skin hyper pigmentation that runs deeper into the skin or Dermal Melasma is known to be more difficult to treat. Certain situations may even have both Epidermal and Dermal Melasma present on various areas of the face.
A dermatologist would be able to recommend the proper care and medication needed to clear your skin of Chloasma. Applying topical or taking oral medications without any further tests on your skin’s condition can result to further skin damage. There will be a set of medications a dermatologist may recommend to help clear out Chloasma. Some medications for this condition may be topical while some may be more advanced like laser treatments. The most common remedy would be the chemical peel process. Chemical peels for some may not be as comfortable due to the strong medication that may cause the skin to feel irritated especially during peeling. For those opting for a non-chemical based medication, Microdermabrasion or what is commonly known as a diamond peel would be another way to strip off the skin inflicted by this pigmentation.
Parts where Melasma is most noticeable would be the cheeks, upper lip and forehead. To prevent Chloasma from worsening, it would be advisable to use sun protection like sunscreen lotions. Apply sunscreen protection regularly throughout the face and even the neck and nape. Applying sun block lotions or creams regularly throughout the day will ensure that your skin is fully covered from the harmful rays of the sun thus avoiding the presence of pigmentation patches.
