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Melasma Treatments
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Chemical peels
Medical Chemical Peels use acids at stronger concentrations to treat the desired area of skin. They reduce the appearance of melasma by removing the top layer of your skin (epidermis). Deeper peels may also penetrate the middle layer of your skin (dermis) to produce more dramatic results.
Melasma
What is it?
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Melasma is a common skin disorder which causes pigmentation in the skin. If you have melasma you may be experiencing light brown, dark brown and/or blue-gray patches on your skin. These can appear as flat patches or freckle-like spots which affect the face, including the cheeks, upper lip and forehead, as well as the forearms.
Melasma can be referred to as the “pregnancy mask” because it frequently affects women in pregnancy. Melasma typically darkens and lightens over time, often getting worse in the summer with sun exposure and poor UV protection and then it gets better in the winter.
Melasma is completely harmless, however psychologically it can have a great effect and makes some people feel very self-conscious.
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There are three types of melasma:
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Epidermal melasma has a dark brown color, a well-defined border, appears obvious under black light and has been shown to responds well to treatment.
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Dermal melasma has a light brown or bluish color, a poor defined border and appears no differently under black light and doesn’t respond well to treatment.
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Mixed melasma is the most common of the three, it has both bluish and brown patches, shows a mixed pattern under black light and shows some response to treatment.
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Melasma is a very common skin disorder, especially among pregnant women. 15% to 50% of pregnant women get it and between 1.5% and 33% of the population may get melasma and it happens more often during a woman’s reproductive years.It usually starts between 20 and 40 years of age.
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What causes it?
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Melasma has two main contributory factors: radiation, whether ultraviolet, visible light, or infrared light; and hormones.
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UV light and infrared radiation caused by the sun are significant factors which make melasma worse. There are other potential causative agents which are detailed below.
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Anti Seizure medications
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Contraceptive therapy (birth control)
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Estrogen/Diethylstilbestrol:, often used in treatments for prostate cancer.
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There is a possible genetic link: About 33% to 50% of people with melasma have reported that someone else in the family has it.
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Hypothyroidism
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LED Screens from your television, laptop, cell phone and tablet.
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Pregnancy due to the increased levels of estrogen, progesterone and the melanocyte-stimulating hormones.
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Hormones like estrogen and progesterone can cause pigmentation. .
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Some cosmetics can cause what’s called a phototoxic reaction.
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Phototoxic drugs. These include some antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), diuretics, retinoids, hypoglycemics, antipsychotics, targeted therapies and some other drugs.
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Skin care products that irritate your skin
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UV light produced by tanning beds damages your skin and exacerbates melasma
Prevention
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Key prevention for the development of melasma is sun shield, not just during summer during winter too. Also avoidance of any of the aggravating factors discussed above can reduce the severity of melasma. Regrettably, you can’t avoid genetics, or stop the skin condition when you’re pregnant, however you can protect your skin and try to prevent it getting worse.
Birthmark Pigmentation Treatments
Birthmarks
What are they?
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A birthmark is a coloured mark that is often present at birth and visible on the skin. However they can often develop during the first 2 years of life.
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There are two main types of birthmark:
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Vascular birthmarks (often red, purple or pink) which most commonly occur on the face and in the head and neck area.
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Pigmented birthmarks (usually brown) can appear anywhere on the body.
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Some examples of Birthmarks
Strawberry marks:
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blood vessels that form a raised red bump on the skin
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They generally appear soon after birth
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They have a red appearance on light and dark skin
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More common in girls, premature babies (born before 37 weeks), low birth weight babies, and multiple births, such as twins
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These generally get bigger for the first 6 to 12 months, and then shrink and disappear by the age of 7
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Sometimes appear under the skin, making it look blue or purple, like. a collection of blood under the skin
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They may need medical treatment if they affect vision, breathing, or feeding
Port wine stains:
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Red, purple or dark marks and usually on the face and neck
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Present from birth
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The appearance of a very dark patch on dark skin
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Usually affect one side of the body, but can affect both
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Can sometimes be made lighter using laser treatment (it's most effective on young children)
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Can become darker and lumpier if not treated
Cafe-au-lait spots:
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Light or dark brown patches that can be anywhere on the body
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Common, with many children often having 1 or 2
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Look darker on dark skin
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Can be different sizes and shapes
Congenital moles: (Please see your GP for mole removal given the need for histology and your safety we do not treat moles)
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Brown or black moles caused by an overgrowth of pigment cells in the skin
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Look darker on dark skin
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Can become darker, raised and hairy, particularly during puberty
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May develop into skin cancer if they're large
What causes them?
Birthmarks can be caused by a variety of different issues, including the abnormal grouping of blood vessels or clusters of pigment cells.
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Prevention
Nothing can be done to prevent them occurring they can be genetic but aren't always.
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