Melasma is a skin condition characterized by brown or blue-gray patches or freckle-like spots on the face and is often referred to as a “pregnancy mask.”
It’s caused by the overproduction of the cells that produce the color in your skin. The good news is melasma usually fades after a few months.
The three types of melasma are:
The most common signs of melasma are brown or gray-brown patches on the face.
These patches usually are seen on your:
Melasma appears on women’s skin much more often than men’s skin. Just 10% of people who get melasma are men.
What causes melasma is not yet clear. It likely occurs when the color-making cells in the skin (melanocytes) produce too much color. People with skin of color are more prone to melasma because they have more active melanocytes than people with light skin.
Common melasma triggers (what starts it) include:
If you have melasma, be sure to avoid:
Treatment is not always necessary for melasma. If hormonal changes, such as those that occur during pregnancy or while taking birth control pills, have caused melasma, it will fade after delivery or once you stop taking the pills. If your melasma does not fade over time, our team will work with you find the best treatment for you to help remove or fade the patches.
Our options for treating melasma include:
Our team may also recommend one of these procedures:
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