Melasma Treatment - by Dr Sravani Consultant Dermatologist, Aura Skin Clinic, Vizag)

You must be wondering what are those brown blotchy stuff on your face that's made worse by sunlight and makes you feel ugly. It is called melasma.

And yes it’s a midlife crisis as we see this commonly after the age of 30 yrs. It occurs in all skin types but is especially common in south american and Asian women. A lot of people experience it during pregnancy(mask of pregnancy), but u will also observe this after using medicines like oral contraceptive pills, phenytoin.and  certain cosmetics.

It is commonly seen on face:forehead, nose, upperlip, chin, malar and mandibular areas.while this is strictly a cosmetic problem, its is very disturbing to both sexes,especially with brown skin color and good tanning capicity.It is definitely one of the most difficult conditions to treat. For this reason, it is important for me  to establish realistic expectations from the beginning so that my patient and I can work together to achieve the best results.

It is important to understand that melasma is a chronic condition. There is no cure (i.e. there is no cream that is prescribed that can make it go away forever). For many patients, melasma is caused by hormones. So for some people after pregnancy or after stopping birth control, the melasma resolves. For many, however, the condition continues. The good news is that there are good treatments available.

The most important thing to treat melasma is strict sun protection.we have skin lightening creams, most popular one is hydroquinone and other options are chemical peels, fractional and Q- switched ND-YAG laser, mesotherapy.

So its important for you to consult your dermatologist and understand what is the best option for you.