Melasma is a very common skin disorder and most often impacts women, especially as we age. Late 30s and beyond is when women tend to see it arise, less so than women in their 20s. My clients who are of Asian descent - Indian, Afghan, Korean, Vietnamese etc., have the highest percentage of it occurring. Some studies say that melasma impacts 80% of Asian descent women.
What is melasma? It is darkening of the skin, in small to large patches, versus small freckle like dots (this is from sun damage). It most often occurs under the eyes/the upper cheeks and upper lip. Melasma's cause is still somewhat a mystery but now we know there is a huge genetic component. Recently, it has been found that 334 genes impact melasma showing up in your skin.
Another trigger for melasma is UV light. UV light is part of the sun's light spectrum, so SPF is essential. But UV is not only from the sun and is in artificial light., especially BLUE light! So, even when indoors, SPF is still essential. UV is inescapable.
Managing melasma is a challenge but not impossible. To truly reduce the visibility of it, in office treatments and an aggressive homecare skin routine are essential. The excess melanin, triggered from hormones, need to be managed on the surface and below the surface. The goal at home and in-office is to reduce excess melanin hormone signals and manage the darkened patches of skin.
Quick fixes are hard to come by but slow and steady definitely wins the race and yields substantial results.
At Skin Memory, we use high performing botanicals to manage melasma without damaging the skin. Our treatments help minimize the appearance on the darkened skin but homecare is required for true management of melasma.