Melasma

Even Skin Tone, Flawless Glow: Melasma Care You Can Trust

Commonly occurring pigment problem in India is melasma. Usually on cheeks, nose, sides of the forehead or chin, melasma shows as dark patches. Still, it can include jaw line, outside arms and forearms as well. Women are more prone to have this kind of pigmentation.

Melasma can be caused by what?

UV irradiation is the main culprit. Recent studies, however, also imply that pigmentation can be enhanced even by visible light. Usually found in the cooking heat, infrared photons tend to aggravate UV damage. Thus, implicated in the development of Melasma patches are infrared and visible light in addition to UV radiation.

Melasma is mostly caused by hormones; this is seen by the rise in melasma experienced during menopause or pregnancy or by usage of oral contraceptives pills. Reports of melasma and thyroid problems being associated abound.
Melasma in family increases the likelihood that other members will also have it.
Dry damaged skin is more prone to pigment and melasma also aggravates in these conditions.

In which person is Melasma common?

Women have melasma more often than men. Usually it begins between 20 and 30 years of age. But occasionally, especially the jawline kind, it can also happen later. Usually occurring either during pregnancy or following child birth, it is known as Pregnancy Mask.

In what ways could Melasma be avoided?

Although total prevention of melasma is impossible, various steps can assist to lessen it. These consist as follows:

Daily, regardless of indoor or outdoor location, use minimum 50SPF sunscreen. Particularly tinted sunscreens work well since they filter even the visible light. Sunscreens should be sprayed again three to four hours later.
Keep skin supple and thoroughly moistened.
Eat plenty of foods high in vitamin A, such as green leafy vegetables, carrots, tomato, beetroot, broccoli, acting as internal sunscreen agents.
Always avoid direct scorching sun and dress in protective gear since none of the sunscreens offer perfect protection. Sports caps are less preferred than wide brimmed hats.

Which therapies for Melasma are now on offer?

Mostly chemical peels, mesotherapy, and lasers are treatments meant to lower melanin levels. Pigmentation calls for several kinds of peels, including combination peels and fruit acid peels. They lowers melanin in skin and exfoliate it.

Using needling or mesoporation, mesotherapy entails immediately depositing the active elements—concoction of skin lightening agents—directly in the upper dermis, the layer of the skin just under the surface layer. Recent research have indicated that tranexamic acid significantly helps to lower melasma pigment. Mesotherapy allows this drug to be effectively deposited to the top dermis.

Because of their wavelength, lasers dig deeper than peels. Melanin in the dermis breaks down into tiny pieces that the body’s scavenging systems can eliminate.
Melanin is also reduced by photofacial using intense pulse light or LED light, hence whitening the skin.

Which one single element influences melasma most importantly?

Should we identify one single element influencing melasma, it is the exposure to sunlight!
Melasma is rather widespread in northeastern India, presumably because of both the sunlight’s wavelength and more vertical rays in these places. If one freely applies a mineral sunscreen, it surely helps to prevent aggravation of the pigment and also responds favourably to the treatment.

Is Melasma entirely and permanently treatable?

Treating melasma for complete and permanent clearance is not possible since hormones and hereditary tendencies cannot be eliminated from a person. Rarely, some people’s inclination just fades naturally.