Melasma consists of the appearance of brown or gray spots on the skin. The name derives from the Greek word “melas”, which means black or dark, since it consists of the appearance of brown and gray spots on the face, which give an appearance of dirt.
To the affected people it appears on the cheeks, the bridge of the nose, the forehead, the chin, and just above the mouth, on the upper lip. But spots can also appear on other parts of the body that are exposed to the sun, such as the neck or shoulders. These marks do not have associated symptoms such as itching, pain, stinging, or alterations in sensitivity. Neither are they accompanied by other alterations of the general state of the patient, such as fever or weight loss. If any of these symptoms occur, this should alarm the patient, as it is not normal for them to occur together with the melasma.
Melasma appears in women much more frequently than in men.
Although it is not a skin disease that endangers the lives of people who suffer from it, it is an unpleasant aesthetic alteration for many people. In some cases it can affect self-esteem and cause rejection to show areas of affected skin. In many cases it resolves with time by itself while, in others, it is necessary to receive simple treatments that eliminate the spots on the skin with very good results.
There are certain factors that uncontrollably activate the cells responsible for pigmentation of the skin, the melanocytes. Some of these factors are:
The sun: the ultraviolet light of sunlight, the famous UVA rays, activate the formation of melanin in the skin.
Hormonal changes: women who are pregnant have melasma more often than women who are not.
Cosmetics: Certain makeups, moisturizers or other beauty products can have an irritant effect on predisposed people. This can cause or worsen the melasma.
Melasma can be a manifestation of an endocrinological disease, known or not. It is not the most frequent cause of melasma, but for this reason you should go to the dermatologist to rule out unknown diseases, such as diabetes mellitus.
To prevent melasma, the causes that trigger it must be avoided:
- Use sunscreen creams is essential to prevent the development of this skin disorder. In such everyday situations as walking, driving, or drinking something on a terrace, enough solar radiation is received to trigger melasma.
- Avoid irritating cosmetics.
- Use makeup: with a makeup that suits the correct skin tone of each patient.
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