Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesTreatment From the InsideOther TreatmentsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Treatment From the Inside
Other Treatments
Frequently Asked Questions
While surface treatments formelasmaexist, you can also fight it with a holistic approach. Treating melasma from the inside out targets physical and lifestyle factors linked to the problem.
The causes of melasma aren’t fully known. Changes in hormones—like those that occur withpregnancy—may trigger the problem.
Melasma is not harmful or a sign of disease, but it can affect your quality of life. Dark patches on your face may impact your self-image.
This article explains the causes of melasma, how holistic treatments can help, and other options.
Toa55 / Getty Images
Melasma Causes
It’s not clear what causes melasma, but it begins when the activity of melanocytes accelerates. These are the cells that give skin its color. The result is the production of too much melanin, the pigment that gives your body its unique color.
While anyone can develop the problem, melasma is most common among young women. It is often linked to the higher levels ofestrogenandprogesteronethat occur in the mid-to-late stages of pregnancy. These changes can also happen with the use ofbirth control pillsat any age orhormone replacement therapy (HRT)during menopause.
Other factors can increase your risk of melasma. Triggers linked to melasma include:
Melasma on Darker Skin
Treating Melasma From the Inside
Some treatments address the internal factors linked to melasma. This approach attempts to heal the problem from the inside out with the below strategies.
Balance Hormones
Enhance Diet
A healthy diet and adequate amounts of water can give you the foundation for healthy skin. Enhancing a balanced diet with certain supplements or foods can improve your results and help lower your risk of melasma.
For example, theproperties of vitamin Care effective in reducing melanin production and providing photoprotection to reduce the effect of sun damage.
The following nutrients can also help improve your skin melasma:
6 Essential Vitamins for Skin Health
Reduce Stress
There is evidence that stress may be a factor in the onset of melasma. Stress promotes the production of cortisol. This elevates estrogen levels, which can increase the amount of melanin you produce.
Reducing stress can help you avoid the chain reaction that leads to melasma. Try these strategies to reduce daily stress:
Increase Rest
Getting adequate sleep is key to overall physical and emotional well-being. It may also play an important role in the onset of melasma.
How Getting Sunlight in the Morning Can Help You Sleep Better
Liver Support
Your liver plays an important role in regulating hormone levels in your blood. Maintaining a healthy liver can help ensure that it functions normally.
Take these steps to preventliver disease:
Signs and Symptoms of Hepatitis
Since the causes of melasma are complex and unclear, the problem can be difficult to treat. While improving internal factors can help, many people benefit from a combination of therapies.
Your healthcare provider may advise adding one or more of the following topical melasma therapies to your treatment plan:
When melasma is stubborn, or you want to promote faster results, your healthcare provider may advise using one of the following procedures:
Cases of extremely stubborn melasma may improve with tranexamic acid, a medication given in topical or pill form.
What Is the Best Treatment for Melasma?
Summary
Melasma is a harmless skin problem that causes dark patches on facial areas. It is most common among women and is often linked to changes in hormone levels.
The problem often appears during pregnancy. It also affects women using birth control or HRT. Certain factors, such as genetics and darker skin color, can increase your risk of the ailment
Treating the internal factors that affect melasma aims to cure the problem from the inside out. Addressing these physical and lifestyle issues may help improve the problem and reduce your risk of it recurring.
There is much more to learn about the causes and treatment of melasma. It can be stubborn and affect every person differently. This can make it hard to find the right treatment.
A Word From Verywell
While melasma doesn’t pose a threat to your well-being, it can have a serious impact on your emotional health. The problem can be devastating to your self-image. It’s common to feel embarrassed about the way the problem changes your looks.
Consult your healthcare provider to find out the treatment most appropriate for your age, medical history, and current condition. Most people benefit from a combination of therapies, so it may take time to find what works for you. Don’t give up on your goal to improve your appearance if it will make a difference in your life.
While you wait for your melasma to improve, consider using camouflage makeup to improve your self-image. With the right products and instructions, you can achieve a natural look. The change can help you feel more like yourself, so you can live normally until your treatment is done.
Melasma is a chronic condition with no cure. However, both internal andtopical treatmentscan fade dark spots and improve your appearance.Learn MoreWhat Are Skin Pigmentatin Disorders?
Melasma is a chronic condition with no cure. However, both internal andtopical treatmentscan fade dark spots and improve your appearance.
Learn MoreWhat Are Skin Pigmentatin Disorders?
Learn MoreSkin Discoloration: Causes and Treatments
Learn MoreVitamins for Skin Health
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Melasma.American Academy of Family Physicians.Melasma.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Melasma.Ogbechie-Godec, O.A., Elbuluk, N.Melasma: an up-to-date comprehensive review.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb)7, 305–318 (2017). doi:10.1007/s13555-017-0194-1Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pregnancy and skin changes.Szyszkowska B, Łepecka-Klusek C, Kozłowicz K, Jazienicka I, Krasowska D.The influence of selected ingredients of dietary supplements on skin condition. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014;31(3):174-181. doi:10.5114/pdia.2014.40919American Academy of Family Physicians.Managing daily stress.Sampaio Xerfan EM, Andersen ML, Tomimori J, Tufik S, da Silva Facina A.Melasma and the possible interaction with sleep quality. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2020;13(11):12.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep and sleep disorders.The Liver Foundation.13 ways to a healthy liver.UpToDate.Melasma: management.Kim HJ, Moon SH, Cho SH, Lee JD, Kim HS.Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in melasma: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Derm Venereol.2017;97(7):776-781. doi:10.2340/00015555-2668
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Melasma.American Academy of Family Physicians.Melasma.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Melasma.Ogbechie-Godec, O.A., Elbuluk, N.Melasma: an up-to-date comprehensive review.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb)7, 305–318 (2017). doi:10.1007/s13555-017-0194-1Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pregnancy and skin changes.Szyszkowska B, Łepecka-Klusek C, Kozłowicz K, Jazienicka I, Krasowska D.The influence of selected ingredients of dietary supplements on skin condition. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014;31(3):174-181. doi:10.5114/pdia.2014.40919American Academy of Family Physicians.Managing daily stress.Sampaio Xerfan EM, Andersen ML, Tomimori J, Tufik S, da Silva Facina A.Melasma and the possible interaction with sleep quality. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2020;13(11):12.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep and sleep disorders.The Liver Foundation.13 ways to a healthy liver.UpToDate.Melasma: management.Kim HJ, Moon SH, Cho SH, Lee JD, Kim HS.Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in melasma: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Derm Venereol.2017;97(7):776-781. doi:10.2340/00015555-2668
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Melasma.American Academy of Family Physicians.Melasma.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Melasma.Ogbechie-Godec, O.A., Elbuluk, N.Melasma: an up-to-date comprehensive review.Dermatol Ther (Heidelb)7, 305–318 (2017). doi:10.1007/s13555-017-0194-1Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pregnancy and skin changes.Szyszkowska B, Łepecka-Klusek C, Kozłowicz K, Jazienicka I, Krasowska D.The influence of selected ingredients of dietary supplements on skin condition. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014;31(3):174-181. doi:10.5114/pdia.2014.40919American Academy of Family Physicians.Managing daily stress.Sampaio Xerfan EM, Andersen ML, Tomimori J, Tufik S, da Silva Facina A.Melasma and the possible interaction with sleep quality. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2020;13(11):12.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep and sleep disorders.The Liver Foundation.13 ways to a healthy liver.UpToDate.Melasma: management.Kim HJ, Moon SH, Cho SH, Lee JD, Kim HS.Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in melasma: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Derm Venereol.2017;97(7):776-781. doi:10.2340/00015555-2668
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American Academy of Family Physicians.Melasma.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Melasma.
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Johns Hopkins Medicine.Pregnancy and skin changes.
Szyszkowska B, Łepecka-Klusek C, Kozłowicz K, Jazienicka I, Krasowska D.The influence of selected ingredients of dietary supplements on skin condition. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014;31(3):174-181. doi:10.5114/pdia.2014.40919
American Academy of Family Physicians.Managing daily stress.
Sampaio Xerfan EM, Andersen ML, Tomimori J, Tufik S, da Silva Facina A.Melasma and the possible interaction with sleep quality. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2020;13(11):12.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep and sleep disorders.
The Liver Foundation.13 ways to a healthy liver.
UpToDate.Melasma: management.
Kim HJ, Moon SH, Cho SH, Lee JD, Kim HS.Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in melasma: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Derm Venereol.2017;97(7):776-781. doi:10.2340/00015555-2668
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