How Can Melasma be Cured?

In the case of melasma, the first important thing to discuss is sun protection. Melasma biggest risk factor is sun exposure , light exposure and heat exposure.
The first important thing you can do to prevent melasma is to use sun screen. Sun screen should be used both when going outside and when staying indoors. At least one should use sun screen with spf 30 to spf 50 and sunscreen should be used every 2 to 3 hours. Sunscreen should be used before cooking. Those who work all day sitting on a laptop or mobile screen are exposed to blue light exposure, which, although not as strong as the sun, can cause or aggravate melasma. Also remember that sun screen is not 100% protective. Therefore, even after using sunscreen, you have to use an umbrella, hat or sunglasses. If you have melasma then you need to use sunprotection but for melasma prevention you should also use sunprotection. Prevention is the best cure for melasma. Melasma can occur in both male and female, but it is more common in female. Hormonal changes such as pregnancy or menopause can cause new melasma or old melasma can grow again. That’s why it is necessary to keep a little extra protection with the skin during hormonal changes. Melasma is an unpredictable disease. There are various treatments for melasma such as topical creams, chemical peeling, lasers. But one by one patients respond to treatment. Home remedies do not work very well for melasma. Home Remedies Lemons contain vitamin C which can have some effect on melanin. Also, lactic acid can have some effect on melanin. But it is not possible to completely remove melasma with home remedies. Again these two home remedies may not work on everyone. A very interesting thing about melasma is that the darker the color of the melasma, the better the treatment response. This is called epidermal melasma. It makes better response to treatment. If the melasma is dermal melasma then it is light blue in color. It does not look so bad but its treatment is very difficult. Dermatologist can recommend sunscreen and various lightening products. Dermatologists may prescribe products containing steroids during the early stages of melasma. But product containing steroid should not be used continuously for 1 to 2 months. Because it can later damage the skin or aggravate melasma. Besides, if hydroquinone is used continuously for more than 2-3 months, it can cause pigmentation. Hydroquinone does not show the same efficacy in everyone. Besides, doctors recommend various products such as glycolic acid, kojic acid, and arbutin. These can be used safely in the long term. But it is not possible to understand if they do not use how much they will result on whom. A product that gets a good response to one person may not get a good response to another person. There are procedural treatments for melasma such as chemical peeling or laser therapy. Chemical peeling is a very effective therapy for melasma. In addition, laser is another treatment option. But the effect of laser is not the same on everyone. In rare cases, laser response may not come or existing melasma may sometimes increase. That is why laser treatment is done only for those who do not have any other treatment. Melasma can come back after healing. Melasma can appear again after any type of stress, lifestyle change, hormonal problems, sun exposure. That’s why long term precaution should be used. A new drug that doctors recommend is tranexamic acid. It is available in tablet, cream and injectable form. Studies have shown that tranexamic acid works well in melasma.