Do you suffer from brown patches on your skin that refuse to go? If these patches are not bothersome in any way, you could be suffering from Melasma – a skin condition that barely has any symptoms, but can make you feel ugly and mar your smile. Often caused by prolonged exposure to sunlight, once afflicted, even a generous application of sunscreen will not help!
But fret not – there are a number of home remedies that can treat melasma. Are you interested in knowing more? Read on!
Melasma is a condition where the skin suffers from hyper pigmentation, affecting mostly women (1). As per the data of American Academy of Dermatology, it affects nearly six million people in the USA alone. Often confused with age spots or freckles, melasma creates irregular and darker spots. The discolored skin is often blue-gray and brownish. Affected skin regions are forehead, chin, upper lip and cheeks.
Melasma happens mostly in women in their reproductive age. Mostly women hailing from Middle Eastern countries, Asia, and Latin regions get affected by this condition. The major causes of Melasma are:
Uncontrolled Exposure To Sunlight:
This is possibly the biggest cause of melasma. Women with a genetic predisposition to melasma get afflicted with the condition when they expose themselves to sunlight a lot. Given the fact most women develop melasma in the scorching days of months – it is a prominent factor.
Pregnancy Induced Skin Discoloration:
In pregnancy, women undergo several unprecedented physiological changes, and the hormonal secretion levels change rapidly. Such women get enhanced levels of progesterone and estrogen in second and third trimesters. Elevated levels of progesterone may be a cause behind pregnancy induced melasma – also known as chloasma. Even postmenopausal women exposed to progesterone hormone replacement therapy become prone to this condition (2).
External Products:
Medications and skin products that irritate skin and affect melanin development may lead to melasma. Usage of some oral contraceptives and skin care products may pave way for the onset of this condition.
There are a number of treatment options for melasma that the affected lot can avail nowadays. A majority of doctors and skin specialists recommend using 2% HQ creams and OTC products like Porcelana and Esoterica. There are some prescription medications available for treating melasma as well. However, using HQ treatment results in side effects in some individuals and they experience skin irritation and further darkening of the spots.
Some people opt for advanced procedures like chemical exfoliation and laser therapy. Procedures like microdermabrasion are also used in some instances (3). Laser therapy brings short term results and sometimes it can be detrimental. That makes many melasma victims opt for natural and home remedies.
While melasma does not lead to severe illness or fatal conditions, the dark spots on the face and skin can affect confidence and looks to a great extent. Owing to side effects of medications and chemical treatments, a lot of victims are now considering applying natural and home based remedies. These remedies are found nearly anywhere, and you can locate several of them in your kitchen cupboard or refrigerator!
Below listed are the 15 best home remedies for melasma:
Lemon juice has been used since ages for improving skin texture and treating skin problems. It works as a natural astringent and the light acidic property helps clear the skin patches to an extent.
You will need to extract the juice of a lemon and then apply it to the melasma affected skin gently for a few minutes. Let the juice dry on the skin and then wash off with warm water. If you do this on a daily basis, the improvements can be felt within a month (4). It is also beneficial if you apply a mixture of yogurt and lemon juice on the brown skin spots.
Turmeric is another natural remedy for melasma that has been used since ages to improve skin health. Besides, it has several healing properties that keep your body healthy. It contains curcumin – an ingredient with proven skin-lightening and antioxidant properties.
You will need to take some raw turmeric and grind it for the best results. However, you can also use organic turmeric powder. Mix the paste or powder with some milk in a bowl. You should ideally use whole milk since it has calcium and lactic acid. After adding a dash of gram flour to the mix, you should apply it to the areas affected by melasma. Let it remain on the skin for some time and wait until the skin feels a little stretched. Now, rinse off using warm water and pat dry with a soft cloth or towel. Do this daily to see improvements in skin texture.
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