What is Melasma? 3+ Causes of Melasma Formation

What is Melasma? Melasma is a common condition that most Vietnamese women experience. Melasma is almost like a curse for women. So what are the causes of melasma formation and how can it be effectively treated? Let’s find out in the article below with Sorella!

What is Melasma?

Melasma is the phenomenon of dark brown patches on the skin’s surface. The origin of these dark spots is melanin – a substance that efficiently absorbs light, contributing to protecting the skin from the sun and UV damage. However, when melanin is overproduced, it accumulates and concentrates on the skin’s surface, forming dark patches known as melasma.

Melasma usually appears in women. Dark spots appear on both cheeks, nose, chin, etc., causing aesthetic loss and making many women feel self-conscious and eager to treat melasma.

Causes of Melasma Formation

Melasma is formed due to various factors. However, fundamentally, melasma is caused by the following 4 main reasons:

1. Sun Exposure

When it comes to the causes of melasma formation, sunlight must be mentioned first. Sunlight will cause the pigment melanin to be produced more, the more exposure to sunlight, the more melanin is produced, leading to the formation of melasma on the skin.

In addition, UV rays in sunlight also cause skin dryness, accelerating the aging process of the skin. It can even cause skin cancer.

Sunlight is one of the important factors causing melasma formation. Ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight can stimulate the production of melanin – the pigment that determines skin color. When the skin is exposed to sunlight for too long and with high intensity, melanin will increase and concentrate to form dark areas or melasma.

2. Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)

This is a condition where the skin produces melanin excessively due to inflammatory reactions that occur after treating skin diseases or external stimuli, and dermatological procedures. Over time, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can spread with symptoms similar to melasma. At this point, you need to seek medical advice to address it promptly, avoiding severe, difficult-to-treat melasma.

3. Use of Poor Quality and Improper Skincare Products

The use of poor quality and inappropriate skincare products is a cause of melasma formation from an early age. Nowadays, there are many skincare products advertised as having the ability to whiten the skin quickly after a very short period. However, these products also cause skin erosion, and loss of self-protection ability, leading to darkening, pigmentation, and vulnerability to environmental damage.

4. Medication-induced Melasma

Some medications such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, diuretics, retinoids, blood sugar-lowering drugs, antipsychotic drugs, etc., can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. When you use them for a long time, melasma, and freckles may appear as the skin’s self-protection mechanism. The causes of melasma formation are sometimes things we don’t think about.

5. Unhealthy Diet

As you may know, your diet has a significant impact on your skin’s health. If you frequently consume fast food, spicy foods, and stimulating substances like alcohol, and cigarettes, then the melasma condition will become more serious.

6. Prolonged Stress Leading to Melasma

Prolonged stress or anxiety is also one of the causes of melasma formation that you should pay attention to. This condition directly affects the body’s hormone system, and alters the endocrine system, causing estrogen imbalance leading to uneven pigmentation, dryness, darkening of the skin, vulnerability to external factors, and melasma formation.

7. Genetic Factors

Many studies have suggested that the causes of melasma formation may come from the influence and hereditary nature of genes. Up to about 33% to 50% of the rate of melasma may have genetic results with others in the family. In particular, this phenomenon is more noticeable in identical twins. Therefore, it can be concluded that genetics is also a factor causing melasma.

8. Endocrine Disorders

One of the causes of melasma formation that needs to be mentioned is endocrine disorders in women. When there is an endocrine disorder, the amount of melanin pigment is also overproduced, causing melasma. About 50-70% of pregnant women may experience melasma due to endocrine disorders during pregnancy.

Endocrine disorders are considered one of the causes of melasma formation. Hormones play an important role in regulating the body’s activities, including the production of melanin pigment. When there is an imbalance in hormones, this can lead to skin issues, including melasma.

Endocrine disorders may include increased hormone production, changes in hormones during premenopausal, pregnancy, or postpartum periods, increased growth hormone production, and other endocrine issues. These changes can increase melanin production in the skin, leading to the formation of melasma and dark areas.

To minimize the effects of endocrine disorders on melasma formation, you can take the following measures:

• Control endocrine hormones: If you suspect an endocrine disorder, consult a doctor or endocrinologist to check and adjust the hormone balance in the body.
• Use specialized skin care products: Choose skincare products containing ingredients that can reduce melanin production and brighten the skin, such as azelaic acid, kojic acid, vitamin C, and other antioxidants.
• Use sunscreen: Sunlight can stimulate melanin production, so using sunscreen daily is essential to protect the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle: A balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress reduction will help maintain hormone balance and support overall skin health.
• Visit a dermatology clinic: If you have melasma due to endocrine disorders, visiting a dermatology clinic and consulting with experts will help you find the most appropriate treatment methods and regimens.

Other Causes of Melasma

In addition to the mentioned causes of melasma formation, it may also be caused by other factors such as:

• LED lights, blue light from electronic devices: The use of electronic devices frequently promotes melanin production, stimulating early melasma formation. Therefore, we should limit the use of devices containing blue light or use protective measures for the skin when using devices.
• Skin aging: After the age of 30, skin aging is inevitable, and the appearance of melasma as a sign indicates that our skin needs care. Exploring some types of melasma treatment creams on the market containing high AHA and Tretinoin in the ingredient list is also an option.
• However, since each person may have their own causes of melasma formation, it is best to seek advice from a dermatologist to determine the cause and choose the most suitable skincare method.

How to Reduce Melasma Formation?

How to reduce melasma formation? When you have melasma, you should not self-treat melasma at home but need to go to reputable dermatological centers to be diagnosed with the type of melasma as well as the causes of melasma formation to have a scientific, effective treatment protocol. To minimize melasma or prevent strong melasma formation, pay attention to the following:

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Not only melasma but to maintain beautiful, smooth, and hydrated skin, you need to drink enough 2 liters of water per day. Drinking enough water hydrates the skin, preventing it from becoming dry, and aging, and reducing melasma formation.

2. Maintain a Healthy Diet

In addition to drinking enough water, maintaining a healthy diet: lots of green vegetables and fruits, and limiting oily and spicy foods will also help the skin stay hydrated, smooth, and full of vitality.

3. Protect Your Skin from the Sun

How to reduce melasma formation? The main cause of melasma is sunlight. Protect your skin from the sun with sunscreen with appropriate SPF and limit exposure to sunlight to help reduce melasma effectively. Limit exposure to sunlight from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to minimize the formation of melasma.

Protecting your skin from the sun not only prevents melasma formation but also protects your skin from other issues such as skin aging and skin cancer.

4. Maintain a Scientific Resting Lifestyle

A scientific resting lifestyle, and keeping a relaxed and optimistic attitude will help maintain hormone balance. At the same time, it also helps prevent melasma formation and development.

5. Do Not Use Poor Quality Skincare Products

Any poor quality products are not good. Skincare is no exception, so avoid using poor quality, unknown origin skincare products containing substances that damage the skin to protect healthy, less damaged, melasma, pigmentation, and aging skin.

6. Use Laser

How to reduce melasma formation? Laser beams help destroy the pigments causing melasma, increase collagen synthesis to form new cells, blur melasma, even out skin tone, and brighten the skin.

7. Use Melasma-reducing Serums

• Tranexamic acid: topical medicine helps treat melasma or fade post-acne scars.
• Mesotherapy: the doctor uses an injector with a small needle to deliver substances capable of inhibiting melanin production to the skin layers. The advantage of this method is that the medicine will not be obstructed by the horn layer, so it will have a higher effect than using topical medicines or electric diathermy.
• Azelaic acid: cream, lotion, or gel form, apply twice a day. Pregnant women can use this type of medicine.
• Methimazole: used in cases of hydroquinone-resistant melasma. Treat by reducing the synthesis of melanin.
• Soybean extract: reduces the conversion process from pigment cells to skin cells. Helps push back melasma, and freckles, and protects the skin from external environmental damage.
• Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA): a group of acids derived from plants (sugar cane, grapes, citrus fruits) and animals (royal jelly). AHA-containing skincare products help regulate pigment, brighten skin, and reduce wrinkles.
• Hydroquinone: lightens dark areas of the skin such as melasma, freckles, and sunburns. Hydroquinone can be in the form of cream, gel, lotion, or emulsion. Typically, it takes at least 4 weeks for the medication to take effect and 2-4 months of regular use for noticeable results.
• Tretinoin: topical medicine used to treat acne, wrinkles, or sun-damaged skin lesions. Note: Do not use Tretinoin for pregnant women.

These are the knowledge Sorella shares about the causes of melasma formation and effective melasma treatment methods. Through this content, we can prevent and treat melasma better.

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