what is melasma
Spotless fair complexion is usually one of the most fundamental standard of beauty. But pigmentation on face or body skin causes initially uneven tone and when it proceeds it becomes more prominent issue that may affect your confidence and many other aspects of life. This abnormal pigmentation is called as melasma.
Basically or skin colour tone is maintained by a protein called melanin, and every protein is being made from instructions given by DNA. So more the genes for melanin protein, more would be melanin or darker would be the skin tone.
Certain factors also activate these genes, like UV exposure, Hormonal changes, stress etc.
- UV exposure:
UV exposure stimulates Melanocytes (cells that produce melanin), which produce more melanin and hence skin tone darkens.
- Hormonal effects:
Estrogen and progesterone directly stimulate melanocytes, to produce more melanin and hence make the skin darker.
- Stress :
Stress causes the production of cortisol (a stress hormone), which stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin.
- Medication:
Certain medicines like NSAIDs, anti seizure drugs can cause photosensitivity, hence over response to sun light and production of more melanin, moreover certain contraceptive drugs modifies hormonal levels and stimulates melanocytes.
So by managing these factors, melasma can be controlled.
