মেছতার লক্ষন | Melasma Symptoms and Treatment | মেছতা দূর করার উপায়

স্কিন স্পেশালিষ্ট
ডা. মেহরান হোসেন
সহকারী অধ্যাপক, ডার্মাটোলজি বিভাগ
সিটি হসপিটাল লিঃ, লালমাটিয়া, ঢাকা
চেম্বার ও অনলাইন এপয়েন্টমেন্ট -
01771463566, 01913672742
Media Partner - Meditalk Digital
How do dermatologists diagnose melasma?
A dermatologist can often diagnose melasma by looking closely at your face and neck.
To get a close-up look, your dermatologist may use a specialized device like a Wood’s lamp or dermatoscope. Placed on (or near) your skin, these devices help your dermatologist see how deeply the darker pigment reaches into the layers of your skin. This knowledge is extremely helpful if you want to treat melasma.
Sometimes melasma can look like another skin condition. To rule this out, your dermatologist may perform a skin biopsy, which involves removing a small bit of skin. Your dermatologist can safely and quickly perform a skin biopsy during your office visit.
How do dermatologists treat melasma?
Melasma may go away on its own. This usually happens when a trigger, such as pregnancy or a medication, causes melasma. When you deliver your baby or stop taking the medication, melasma can fade.
Melasma can also last for years, or even a lifetime. While melasma cannot harm your body, it’s understandable that many people want to treat it.
If you want to treat melasma, be sure to ask your dermatologist about the cost of treatment. As treatment for melasma is not considered medically necessary, most insurers will not cover the cost.
If you decide to treat melasma, your dermatologist will create a treatment plan tailored to your needs. This means your plan will consider your skin tone, how deeply the melasma reaches into your skin, and any melasma triggers you may have. Sunlight, taking birth control pills, and even stress can trigger melasma.
The goals of treatment are to:
Decrease how much pigment your body makes.
Even out your skin tone, restoring it to your natural color.
To achieve these goals, a treatment plan often consists of:
Sun protection: Sunlight causes the skin to make more pigment, which can darken existing melasma and cause new patches.
Your dermatologist will tell you how to protect your skin from the sun. This often involves wearing a wide-brimmed hat while outdoors, seeking shade, and applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) throughout the day.
For patients who have melasma, dermatologists often recommend using a sunscreen that contains:
Zinc oxide
Titanium dioxide
Iron oxide
Medication and procedures: Your dermatologist may prescribe a medication that can decrease the excess pigment in your skin. Most patients receive a prescription for medication that they apply to their skin at home.
Your dermatologist may prescribe one or more of the following:
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.
Tretinoin and a mild corticosteroid: This combination contains a retinoid and an anti-inflammatory, which can even out skin tone.
Triple combination cream: This cream contains three medications - tretinoin (a retinoid), a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation, and hydroquinone to even out your skin tone.
Other medications: Your dermatologist may prescribe a medication that’s gentler on your skin like azelaic acid, kojic acid, or vitamin C.
When using makeup to hide melasma, it’s important to apply everything in the right order to get the best results. Here’s the order that dermatologists recommend:
Melasma medication
Sunscreen
Camouflage makeup
Even when you follow your treatment plan, melasma can be stubborn. Some people still see melasma. Researchers have been studying this problem, which has led to several treatment advances.
To improve your results, your dermatologist may add one or more of the following to your treatment plan:
Chemical peel: During this procedure, your dermatologist applies a chemical solution to the melasma. This can help remove excess pigment.
Microneedling: This minimally invasive procedure creates microscopic tears in your skin. As the skin heals, it tends to have a more even skin tone.
Laser and light treatments: A few studies have found that adding a laser or light treatment can improve results for patients who are already applying medication to their skin and protecting their skin from the sun.
Platelet-rich plasma: This procedure involves taking a small amount of your blood, placing the blood into a machine that separates the blood into layers, and then injecting the layer of blood known as plasma into the skin with melasma. This can help even your skin tone.