Melasma is a skin condition in which brown spots appear on the face.
Where does Melasma most commonly occur?
Melasma appears most commonly on your cheeks, nose, chin, upper lip, and forehead. It sometimes affects your arms, neck, and back.
What causes Melasma?
There are two main causes of melasma: radiation, whether ultraviolet, visible light or infrared (heat) light; and hormones.
- Contraceptive therapy (birth control): Melasma has been observed in individuals who use oral contraceptive pills that contain estrogen and progesterone.
- Hypothyroidism: A condition where your thyroid is underactive.
- LED Screens: Melasma may be caused by the LED lights from your television, laptop, cell phone, and tablet.
- Pregnancy: It is unclear why “the mask of pregnancy” happens to pregnant women. However, experts theorize that the increased levels of estrogen, progesterone, and melanocyte-stimulating hormones during the third trimester of pregnancy play a role.
- Hormones: Postmenopausal women are sometimes given progesterone, and have been observed developing melasma. If you aren’t pregnant, you likely have elevated levels of estrogen receptors found in your melasma lesions.
- Makeup (cosmetics): Some cosmetics can cause what’s called a phototoxic reaction.
- Skin care products: A product that irritates your skin, in general, will likely make your melasma worse.
- Soaps: Some scented soaps are thought to cause or worse melasma.
- Tanning beds: The UV light produced by tanning beds damages your skin just as bad as the UV light from the sun, and sometimes worse.
What happens to the skin?
Your skin is made up of three layers. The outer layer is the epidermis, the middle is the dermis, and the deepest layer is the subcutis. It’s an organ – the largest organ.
Your epidermis contains cells called melanocytes that store and produce a dark color (pigment) known as melanin. In response to light, heat, ultraviolet radiation, or hormonal stimulation, the melanocytes produce more melanin, and that’s why your skin darkens.
What are the types of melasma?
There are three types of melasma and they have to do with the depth of the pigment.
- Epidermal
- Dermal
- Mixed melasma
Homeopathic Remedies for Melasma
- Sepia Officinalis– Sepia is one of the excellent remedies for melasma. There are yellow-brownish spots on the face, especially the cheeks, forehead and cheeks, and nose. A yellow saddle across the upper part of the cheeks and nose.
- Lycopodium Clavatum– Lycopodium is another effective remedy for melasma with grayish–yellow discoloration of the face, with blue circles around the eyes. There is a special craving for sweets.
- Caulophyllum– Discoloration of the skin occurs in women with menstrual and uterine disorders. Skin is hot and dry, Caulophyllum is recommended. Since hot skin can cause vascular dilatation leading to melasma, this remedy is particularly useful.
- Plumbum Met– acts as a depigmenting agent that treats melasma with yellow, corpse-like spots on sunken cheeks. The skin of the face is greasy and shiny. The face is pale and emaciated or weak.
Homeo Care Clinic:
Dr. Vaseem Choudhary along with his team has treated many patients successfully with Melasma so if you are seeking your cure please visit our center for further assistance.
