FAQ: What Causes Melasma?

Melasma Treatment Nashua NHHaving the perfect complexion is something that everyone wants but that few people have. If you have noticed that you have started to develop either brown or grey patches across your face, then you may have a skin condition called melasma. But what is melasma and how can it be treated? Let’s take a closer look at some answers to some frequently asked questions.

FAQ: What Causes Melasma?

Melasma can be caused by a variety of different things such as sun exposure, birth control, medications, and hormone fluctuations but the most common cause of melasma is pregnancy which is where it gets its name “the mask of pregnancy.”

FAQ: How Do You Get Rid of Melasma?

One of the unique and positive things about a skin condition like melasma is that it can fade on its own over time especially when issues such as hormone fluctuations wear off. If, however, your melasma isn’t fading or if you just want to seek treatment sooner rather than later, then there are a variety of treatment options that we at Skin & Laser Surgery Center offer patients.

FAQ: How Is It Treated?

Typically, Dr. Khatri uses a combination of laser resurfacing and bleaching agents to help lighten these patches of skin. However, when a female patient needs to either stay on her birth control pill or if her melasma keeps on returning, then we have a variety of other options to use.

  • Tretinoin and Corticosteroids: When applied topically to the skin, these two options can help enhance skin lightening.
  • Hydroquinone: As usually the first treatment option that Dr. Khatri recommends, this over-the-counter medication can also be prescribed in a stronger form from Dr. Khatiri and is designed to lighten the skin.
  • Laser Resurfacing: As previously mentioned, Dr. Khatri usually starts with laser surfacing in patients who have persistent melasma.
  • Other skin lightening creams: There are other non-hydroquinone based creams that can also be used safely to lighten melasma
  • Chemical peels: Chemical peels remove the top layer of the epidermis and can be effective for lightening areas with melasma.

If you have melasma, it’s good to know that we have a variety of options to help treat it. Do you want to learn more about melasma and melasma treatments? Schedule a consultation at our Revere office today and call us at (617) 381-1717.