Apanemia Health Centre

Treatment

As hormones stabilize, melasma patches become clearer. Women who develop melasma due to pregnancy often observe that the patches become clearer once the baby is born. Women taking oral contraceptives or continue hormone replacement therapy often note that the patches become clearer once you stop taking the medication.

The following options may help clarify or treat dark patches of skin:

* Hydroquinone: a cream that removes the pigment in the skin blocks the natural chemical process that results in the creation of melanin, the substance that gives skin its color.
* Tretinoin is a type of vitamin A that helps increase the speed with which the skin cells fall off and new ones appear. This makes the patch more quickly clears melasma as pigmented cells are falling.
* Azelaic acid cream, as it seems to help delay or prevent the production of pigment, the substance that darkens the skin.
* Peels (skin polishing) chemicals: are liquid solutions applied to the skin to produce an abrasion (burning) mild, similar to sunburn. Over time, layers of skin burned and fall is fresh, new layer. The polishing of the skin vary in intensity. Glycolic acid is the mildest, thus presents a low risk of scarring or skin pigmentation. The chemical polishing could be used in case of melasma does not respond to other treatments

Some dermatologists use Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (a form of treatment with a specific wavelength of light) to remove the layers of skin pigment, however, this technique is not a routine treatment for the treatment of melasma.

When To Call a Professional

See your doctor if you develop any type of skin pigmentation. Although melasma does not require treatment, the doctor can distinguish melasma include a skin disorder that may require treatment.

Forecast

Most pigmented areas of skin will become clearer or disappear once hormones stabilize and when to stay away from the sun. For some people who consider these unsightly skin blemishes, treating it may help clarify the patches more difficult to remove. Cosmetics can also be used to match the color of the skin.