Melasma - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Melasma is also know as Chloasma. Chloasma is derived from the Greek word chloazein, meaning “to be green.” Melas, also Greek, means “black.” Since the pigmentation is never green in appearance, melasma is the preferred term Melasma is a dark skin discoloration and found on sun-exposed areas of the face. It can affect anyone, young women with brownish skin tones are at greatest risk. Melasma also occurs as a side-effect of taking contraceptive pills and injected depot contraceptive preparations. It may also be noticed in apparently healthy, normal, non-pregnant women where it is presumed to be due to some mild and harmless hormonal imbalance. Melasma is much more common in women than in men. Women are affected in 90% of cases. When men are affected, the clinical and histologic picture is identical. Melasma is often associated with the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

It is much more common in constitutionally darker skin types than in lighter skin types and especially Hispanics and Asians, from areas of the world with intense sun exposure. Darker patches of skin appear on the forehead, temples, cheeks or upper lip. Other factors implicated in the etiopathogenesis of melasma are photosensitizing medications, mild ovarian or thyroid dysfunction, and certain cosmetics. If you are already susceptible to melasma, exposure to the sun increases your risk. For example, women who are pregnant or who take a hormone medication and avoid the sun are less likely to develop melasma than are those who spend a lot of time in the sun.

Causes of Melasma

Common causes of Melasma

• Genetics.
• Hormonal influences ( Estrogen, progesterone).
• Sun exposure.
• Emotional stress.

Symptoms of Melasma

Common Symptoms of Melasma

• Darker patches of skin.

Treatment of Melasma

Common Treatment of Melasma

• Use of tretinoin ( trans- retinoic-acid) can be effective as monotherapy.
• Azelaic acid, available as a 20% cream-based formulation, appears to be as effective as 4% HQ and superior to 2% HQ in the treatment of melasma.
• Hydroquinone (HQ) is most commonly used hydroxyphenolic chemical that inhibits tyrosinase, leading to the decreased production of melanin.
• Wear a hat with a brim to shade and protect your face.
• Apply sun block (such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) to vulnerable areas.
• Use sunscreen that protects against both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation. The sunscreen should have a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.

Home made Remedies

Orange : Oranges are very valuable in measles, as the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered. The patient suffers from intense toxemia and the lack of saliva coats his tongue and often destroys his thirst for water as well as his desire for food. The agreeable flavor of orange juice helps greatly in overcoming these drawbacks. Orange juice is the ideal liquid food for this disease.

Egg Plant Seeds: The seeds of the eggplant are a stimulant. Intake of half to one gram of these seeds daily for three days will help develop immunity against measles for one year.

Barley: The use of barley water has proved beneficial for the troublesome cough in measles. This water should be taken frequently, sweetened with the newly drawn oil of sweet almonds.

Lemon Juice: The juice of lemon also makes an effective thirst-quenching drink in measles. About 15 to 25 ml of lemon juice, diluted with water, should be taken for this purpose.

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