Melasma is only a pigmentary concern, and does not affect the health of the mother or baby. Melanin is what gives skin its color. Melasma. If you take preventative measures and follow any treatments recommended by your healthcare provider, your melasma might disappear. 2020;1(2):65-67. doi:10.5606/jebms.2020.75614. It is very likely that if you were going to get Melasma at the time of . Other agents that are being studied to improve melasma include: Dermatitis is a side effect of hydroquinone and tretinoin. Ali, S, Bali S, P S. Hormonal evaluation in females having melasma. The second path to take is topical medications. 2011;57(6):665-667. Wearing a good pregnancy-safe sunscreen with SPF 30+ is key. There are preventative measures you can take. All changes in skin pigmentation due to melasma usually disappear on their own after delivery, but you can do a few things to safely minimize darkened spots on your skin during pregnancy: Melasma usually fades without treatment after you have your baby. Fortunately, chloasma generally fades within a few months after giving birth. Is there a specific sunscreen you recommend? Melanin in the basal and suprabasal keratinocytes. Products that irritate the skin can make melasma worse. The following are common melasma triggers: In addition to the above, genetics play a crucial role. What are stretch marks? If other treatments haven't helped, a dermatologist can lighten dark spots with laser treatments, but that's not the first option. Melasma can even occur in men, although its far more common in women. Read our. Your dermatologist may recommend one or more of the following: Hydroquinone, corticosteroids, and tretinoin (Retin-A) are just a few of the many options used to treat melasma. Light-based procedures like intense pulsed light, non-ablative fractionated lasers and low fluence Q-switched lasers. They include medications, makeup, and cosmetics that irritate your skin or make it more sensitive to sunlight, the blue light emitted from your devices, and underlying thyroid disease. Not all laser therapies are ideal for treating discoloration. The most common type, mixed melasma, is exactly what it sounds likeits both brown and bluish in appearance, has a mixed pattern under black light, and is somewhat responsive to treatment. Verywell Family's content is for informational and educational purposes only. But, keep in mind that it can fade on its own after youre no longer pregnant, and there are other ways to help it along the way. Its an organ the largest organ and it makes up about one-seventh of your body weight. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. I use a variety of modalities to treat this conditionspecific topicals and chemical peels, she shares. This can be a trigger for melasma. If youre susceptible to pregnancy melasma, unprotected sun exposure can worsen it. (2020). However, she particularly enjoys the medical, aesthetic, pharma, mental health, and beauty realms. Dealing with melasma during pregnancy can be a challenge, but it's not impossible. Is Any Acne Treatment Safe to Use During Pregnancy? Theyre also commonly mistaken for freckles or age spots, however, those tend to be smaller. Although its a benign condition that doesnt cause any pain or discomfort, its appearance can negatively impact your confidence and self-esteem. When melasma occurs during pregnancy, it is also called chloasma, or "the mask of pregnancy."Pregnant women experience increased estrogen, progesterone, and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) levels during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. A Woods lamp that emits black light may be used to determine the depth of the pigment. beneath the breasts during late pregnancy. The darker color usually fades after pregnancy. The mask of pregnancy technically called melasma appears when a steep rise in estrogen and progesterone levels stimulates excess melanin production, also known as hyperpigmentation. Melasma is thought to be primarily related to; external sun exposure, external hormones like birth control pills, and internal hormonal changes during pregnancy. Epidermal melasma resides in the surface of the skin. What Are Some Ways To Help Cope With Pregnancy Melasma? U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (We know, weve felt that knee-jerk instinct at times, too.) Your skin is made up of three layers. Melasma appears slowly over a period of weeks or months. Make a good concealer your best friend. During pregnancy, melasma usually appears on the face as patchy or spotted areas of skin that are tan, brown, or sometimes blue-gray. What medications and/or vitamins can I take to help heal my melasma? Women with darker complexions are more likely to have melasma than women with lighter skin. Depending on the person, melasma may go away on its own, it may be permanent, or it may respond to treatment. Very common lumps found among women during pregnancy are clogged milk ducts. No. Yes, but use cosmetics that include sunscreen and pay attention to any that may aggravate your melasma by irritating your skin. The mask of pregnancy technically called melasma appears when a steep rise in estrogen and progesterone levels stimulates excess melanin production, also known as hyperpigmentation. Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. But you may be able to avoid the factors listed above which make melasma worse. Were explaining why this occurs, below. Freckles or scars, and dark skin around nipples and genitals may become even darker than usual during pregnancy. While not being harmful to the health of either mother or child, pregnancy melasma can be a source of embarrassment for some expecting mothers. An Bras Dermatol. the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information. Results: The prevalence of melasma was 15.8%[95% confidence interval (CI) 12.3-19.4]. Pregnancy woes: 4 common skin issues Melasma, or chloasma, as it's called during pregnancy, appears mostly on the face, on sun-exposed areas like your cheeks, nose, upper lip and forehead, says Raymond. However, to keep your skin healthy in general, try a skin-healthy diet of foods rich in Vitamin D: Those with melasma are more likely to have a thyroid disease. What's more, skin that's already more pigmented such as your nipples, freckles, scars, and the skin of your genitals may become even darker during pregnancy. We'll tell you what to avoid and some good, Skin tags are common during pregnancy and can be painful. Bolanca I, Bolanca Z, Kuna K, Vukovi A, Tuckar N, Herman R, Grubisi G. Chloasmathe mask of pregnancy. Again, there are a variety of factors at play when it comes to darkening pigment. It may take several months for your hormones to balance and skin pigmentation to fade. In any case, continue to protect your skin from the sun by using sunscreen every day, wearing protective clothing, and staying out of the sun during peak hours. Some melasma treatments are safe to begin during pregnancy. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Estimates vary, but up to 70% of pregnant people develop melasma. Start at 2,000 International Units (IU) per day. Policy. 2015;4:13240-13247. Dr. Geddes-Bruce is fellowship-trained in cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery. For many people, pregnancy melasma can improve after youre no longer pregnantonce your hormonal levels return to their normal, pre-pregnant levels. (This can occur whether or not you choose to breastfeed, because estrogen and progesterone are not the hormones involved in lactationthose would be prolactin and oxytocin.). Yes, its possible that your melasma will go away on its own within a few months. Yes, this also applies to tanning beds or any other environment where you would be exposed to UVA and UVB rays. Discover what they are here. People with more pigment in their skin for example, those of African, North African, Middle Eastern, Latin or Hispanic, Asian, Indian, or Mediterranean descent are more likely to develop chloasma, as they naturally have more active melanin production. You can also try other camouflaging makeup and skincare products, like concealers, full-coverage foundation, and skin-brightening products. Wear abroad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher on your face all day, every day, even if youre not going outside, since harmful rays can come right through your windows. ClinicalTrials.gov. Chloasma: The mask of pregnancy. There are three types of melasma and they have to do with the depth of the pigment. Melasma is more common in people with medium to darker skin and seems to run in families. Melasma during pregnancy is a skin condition in which melanocytes, the skin cells that produce melanin, produce more pigment than usual. One reason is that it may resolve on its own. 2003 Oct;1(1): e27. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen as needed. Most treatments take time to work, so the spots will fade gradually. 2 However, there's not enough info to recommend aloe or turmeric as melasma treatments, and conventional treatments work faster and grant better end results. See a board-certified dermatologist to figure out the best and safest option for your skin. Melasma that appears during pregnancy usually does go away within a few months after you give birth. 5 How to Prevent Melasma. These areas may get darker the more youre exposed to the sun or the further along you are in your pregnancy. Safety of skin care products during pregnancy, Utilization of Laser Therapy During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of the Maternal and Fetal Effects Reported From 1960 to 2017, Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun. Although its a physically harmless skin condition, we know that it can be bothersome, even to the point of making you feel self-conscious in social settings. Most importantly, try and remind yourself that you likely notice and dwell on your pregnancy melasma more than anyone else, and that youre far from alone in experiencing it. If someone in your family has had melasma, youre more vulnerable to the condition. It depends on the person and the medication used. So easy and delicious. Melasma is so frequent in pregnant people that it's sometimes called the "mask of pregnancy." DermNet NZ; Science SourceA pregnancy mask may appear as dark, blotchy, brown, confetti-like patches of skin. You're also more likely to develop melasma if it runs in your family. Choose a corrective foundation and concealer that are non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic and designed to cover hyperpigmentation. Our. Melasma is harmless, physically, but can have an emotional impact. She works full-time as a senior content manager at a multinational digital agency. If you feel that its negatively impacting your life, or you have any other concerns, try not to suffer in silence. Kalayc M. Pregnancy mask: melasma. It mimics discoloration of other skin conditions, and should be diagnosed by a board-certified dermatologist MD/DO to prevent misdiagnosis and incorrect treatments.. There are three main methods of treatment for melasma: 1) Slowing down or stopping the creation of the pigment melanin. Melasma is also sometimes referred to as the mask of pregnancy because the splotches typically show up around your upper lip, nose, cheekbones, and forehead in the shape of a mask. Bolanca I, et al. A topical treatment isnt your only option. Lasers, which can be irritating especially during pregnancy, are no-nos too. What Is Pregnancy Melasma? Hormones (including hormonal medications). Barsh G. What Controls Variation in Skin Color? Melasma can return. Cat is a linguistic alchemist and expert wordsmith who has written and edited for some of the world's biggest brands. Make sure youre staying hydrated, eating a diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and getting enough sleep each night. By Nancy LeBrun Accessed 7/23/2020. If it doesn't, there are treatments to help fade melasma, though they can take some time to be effective, and sometimes it comes back. This can occur when youre pregnant due to an increase in hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone. Changes in hormones especially estrogen and progesterone is the main cause of melasma during pregnancy. It doesnt itch or hurt, and it doesnt become malignant. The primary symptom of chloasma is darkening of the skin on the face. Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist seeing patients in New York, N.Y. She practices various aspects of dermatology, including cosmetic treatments, laser, injectables, skin cancer screening, general dermatology, dermatologic surgery, and body contouring. Adding a skin condition like melasma to the mix can be frustrating, especially if it's making you self-conscious about your appearance. Melasma is a common skin disorder. This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Why Does Pregnancy Make My Lips and Skin So Dry? Melasma during pregnancy is very common. Your epidermis contains cells called melanocytes that store and produce a dark color (pigment) known as melanin. Other people may have melasma for just a short time, such as during pregnancy.