What is melasma and what does it look like?
Melasma is a frequent skin condition. The phrase loosely translates to “black spot.” Melasma is characterised by light brown, dark brown, and/or blue-gray areas on the skin. They can take the form of flat patches or freckled spots. Face, including the cheekbones, upper lip, and forehead, as well as the forearms, are frequently affected.
Melasma is known as the “mask of pregnancy” because it commonly affects pregnant women. Melasma often darkens and lightens over time, worsening in the summer and improving in the winter.
Where does melasma most commonly occur?
Melasma is most typically found on the cheekbones, nose, chin, upper lip, and forehead. It can also affect your arms, neck, and back. Melasma can affect any portion of your skin that has been exposed to sunshine. As a result, most melasma patients report that their symptoms worsen during the warmer months.
How common is melasma?
Melasma is a frequent skin condition, particularly among pregnant women. It affects 15% to 50% of pregnant women. Melasma affects between 1.5% and 33% of the population, and it occurs more frequently during a woman’s reproductive years and seldom during adolescence. It usually begins between the ages of 20 and 40.