Melasma is a skin disorder that appears as dark patches or areas of gray-brown patches on your face. Melasma usually appears in a symmetrical distribution on your cheeks, nose, forehead, chin and/or upper lip. While more commonly seen on your face, you can also get melasma on your arms, neck, or any other sun exposed area.

The cause of melasma isn’t completely clear, but women with darker skin tones are more prone to melasma because they have more melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) in their skin than light-skinned individuals. Only 10% of people with melasma are men. This is likely because of the hormonal component that melasma is much more common in women. Oral contraceptive pills, hormone replacement therapy, and pregnancy are the most common causes. Although quite often, the occurrence of melasma is triggered by an individual’s genetics or sun exposure.

Dr. Colaço takes a whole-person, comprehensive approach to treatments, rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. She and her highly skilled medical aesthetics team provide treatments that include chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing, oral medications, and adjustments to your at-home skin care regimen, so you get the best long-term results.

Peels:

Our customized Melanage Peel System is as close as you can get to a “magic bullet” for melasma with most patients experiencing dramatic improvement in pigmentation within 3 months!. And for individuals seeking a gentler peeling experience, we have many other chemical peel options.

Oral medications:

Another promising treatment is oral tranexamic acid that can also help to safely fade the pigmentation left behind by melasma. This medication is taken daily by mouth for approximately four months.

Laser treatments:

Finally, once we have exhausted our treatment options with peels and products, one of the newest effective treatments of melasma is the LaseMD superficial laser resurfacing with our custom tranexamic acid serum. Laser assisted delivery of topical medications using micro channels like this is much more effective than applying the same topical directly to the skin.

Skincare regimen:

Sticking to a skin care routine that works for you can not only treat melasma but also help to prevent it from coming back or getting worse. The ShanthiMD custom skin lightening topical regimen incorporates prescription ingredients custom prepared for your unique skin type and goals to speed up skin lightening and suppress the activity of melanin production. We highly recommend ShanthiMD Glow Cream (custom mixed with retinoic acid and hydroquinoine), ShanthiMD Clear Cleanse (with AHA glycolic acid), and Skinceuticals Discoloration Defense for effective treatment and maintenance combined with a physical sunblock (see below).

Dr. Colaço believes in taking a natural, holistic approach to treating skin conditions like melasma, combined with proven medical therapies whenever necessary. The best way to treat melasma for you may not be the best way to treat it for someone else. Dr. Colaço listens to your concerns, performs a thorough examination of your skin, and creates a custom treatment plan you can follow to get lasting results.

The single best way to prevent melasma or keep it from recurring is to protect your skin with sunscreen and minimize your sun exposure. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of strict sun protection. A mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) SPF 30 or higher works best if reapplied every 2 hours if you are outside in the sun, sweating, or swimming. Furthermore, minerals like zinc oxide have been shown to reduce skin pigmentation in and of themselves. We love brands like Colorscience, Revision, and EltaMD. Melasma may also improve if you stop taking birth control pills or use a different type of hormonal prescription.