What is the difference between age spots and melasma?

Age spots are common in adults older than age of 50. Melasma is a common skin condition of adults in which light to dark brown pigmentation develops, mainly on the face. Freckles are flat, tanned spots that may develop on sun exposed skin after repeated exposure to sunlight.

Is hyperpigmentation the same as age spots?

Hyperpigmentation is a common condition that makes some areas of the skin darker than others. “Hyper” means more, and “pigment” means color. Hyperpigmentation can appear as brown, black, gray, red or pink spots or patches. The spots are sometimes called age spots, sun spots or liver spots.

Is dark spot and melasma same?

If you have dark spots on your skin, it can be hard to tell if it's hyperpigmentation or melasma, as both are extremely common. While they are two different dermatological conditions, they can look and act alike, and they are both caused by similar things.

How can you tell the difference between melasma and sunspots?

Melasma and sun spots can be hard to differentiate. Both manifest as dark patches of skin and may lead to expletives when looking in the mirror. Both are also caused or aggravated by sun exposure. However, melasma tends to be symmetrical in its appearance while sun spots aren't necessarily.

Are brown spots melasma?

Melasma often begins during pregnancy

The blotchy brownish areas and freckle-like spots on this woman's face are melasma, which first appeared while she was pregnant. Women who have medium to dark skin tones are most likely to develop melasma.

The Different Types of Brown Spots [DermTV.com Epi #474]

What does melasma look like on the face?

Melasma is a common skin disorder. Loosely translated, the word means “black spot.” If you have melasma you're probably experiencing light brown, dark brown and/or blue-gray patches on your skin. They can appear as flat patches or freckle-like spots.

Do melasma spots go away?

Most people with melasma do not need treatment. Melasma may fade away slowly if you stop taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. If melasma appeared while you were pregnant, it may go away a few months after you have the baby. If melasma doesn't fade or it bothers you, it can be treated.

What is the root cause of melasma?

Sunlight: When sunlight hits our skin, it triggers the body to produce more melanin. This seems to explain why melasma develops on skin that gets the most sunlight like skin on the face, neck, and arms.

What removes melasma?

Hydroquinone: This is a common treatment for melasma. It is applied to the skin and works to even out the skin tone. Hydroquinone is no longer available in products that you can buy without a prescription.

Which is the best cream for melasma?

What is the fastest way to cure melasma?

Doctors often use hydroquinone as the first line of treatment for melasma. Hydroquinone is available as a lotion, cream, or gel. It works by lightening the color of the skin patches. A person can apply the hydroquinone product directly to the patches of skin that are discolored or uneven.

How I cured my melasma naturally?

Lemon juice. The idea behind lemon juice to treat melasma is similar to that of apple cider vinegar. Many sites recommend rubbing the dark patches of skin with lemon juice and leaving it to dry before rinsing with water. Lemon juice is thought to lighten the skin because it is a bleaching agent.

What is the difference between pigmentation and dark spots?

Uneven skin pigmentation (or hyperpigmentation as it is often known) is a common skin complaint. Dark spots – known as age spots or sun spots – or dark patches of skin frequently appear on the face, hands and other parts of the body regularly exposed to the sun.

What is the fastest way to get rid of age spots?

If you want to get rid of dark spots fast, a procedure that removes layers of discolored skin may work better than a lightening cream. These techniques include laser treatments, freezing (cryotherapy), dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, microneedling, and chemical peels.

What is the best treatment for age spots?

Medications. Applying prescription bleaching creams (hydroquinone) alone or with retinoids (tretinoin) and a mild steroid might gradually fade the spots over several months. The treatments might cause temporary itching, redness, burning or dryness. Laser and intense pulsed light.

Do age spots go away?

Age spots may affect people of all skin types, but they're more common in adults with light skin. Unlike freckles, which are common in children and fade with no sun exposure, age spots don't fade. Age spots: Are flat, oval areas of increased pigmentation.

Which face wash is best for melasma?

The Best Salicylic Acid Cleansers For Melasma

One of our favorite melasma cleansers is NoLIO Salicylic Acid Cleanser. This face wash for melasma is ideal for oily skin types and a favorite among dermatologists owing to its low pH, which provides additional exfoliating benefits.

What deficiency causes melasma?

Vitamin B12 for Melasma

A severe deficiency of vitamin B12 is called pernicious anemia, a condition associated with hyperpigmentation of the skin - especially in patients with darker skin tones. For this reason, some people believe that a deficiency of vitamin B12 might cause melasma.

What vitamins are good for melasma?

Conclusions: Full-face iontophoresis of vitamin C appears to be an effective short-term treatment for melasma and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Is melasma linked to liver?

Risk Factors for Developing Melasma

Malnutrition may be a contributing factors because melasma is often found in people with abnormal liver function and vitamin B12 deficiency.

Is melasma caused by stress?

Stress. While psychological stress isn't a skin irritant per se, it is considered to be a possible melasma trigger by some researchers. Stress causes your body to increase the hormone cortisol, which can in turn influence the amount of estrogen in the body.

How do I stop melasma production?

How do you know you have melasma?

Melasma (muh-LAZ-muh) is a patch of hyperpigmentation that appears on the face and neck. It's an incredibly common skin problem. You can recognize it by its patchy brown, blue-gray, or tan blemishes on the skin. These spots usually appear on the forehead, cheeks, bridge of the nose, chin, and above the upper lip.

Which serum is best for melasma?

Vitamin C serum packs a major punch: It protects the skin against environmental damage and lightens dark patches, the latter being a big reason why three of our experts suggested using it to treat melasma. “I always recommend topical vitamin C, my favorite being SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic,” says Dr.

Does drinking water help melasma?

Drink enough water

The benefits of staying hydrated are too many. Pooja suggests drinking at least 2-3 litres of water daily to fight pigmentation effectively.