No, melasma (or chloasma is its other name) is not a condition of spotty eggs!
It is a common condition which affects the skin on the face of women.
I even had it at one point, I think after the birth of my second child. It came on in the summer months and I must admit, a frisson of panic came over me. It doesn’t ‘do’ in the dermatology world to look as if you’ve not looked after your skin in the sun.
What does it look like?
It typically causes the development of brown patches which affect the sun-exposed areas of the face, such as the upper lip, cheeks, chin and forehead and yes, it is the sun which tends to make it worse. The changes tend to occur on both sides of the face.
What makes it worse?
Pregnancy and the oral contraceptive pill may make the condition more likely to appear.
What can I do to treat it or make it go away?
Treatments which lighten the skin can be effective (but must be used with caution as they can also cause problems with ‘overlightening’ the skin) and they must be used in conjunction with rigorous sun protection measures to be really effective. In my practice, I tend to steer clear of the skin lightening treatments; they can cause as many problems as they purport to treat and sun protection with a high factor facial sunscreen and sun avoidance (broad rimmed hat, avoiding mid-day sun) are all I tend to recommend.
Sandy
Dr Sandy Flann, Consultant Dermatologist
