They are brown spots due to the accumulation of melanin, which appear symmetrically in areas exposed to the sun. There are two types of melasma, epidermal and dermal depending on where the melanin accumulates. It mainly affects women, and in particular, women who are pregnant or taking oral contraceptives.
It is caused by an increase in melanin production due to changes in hormone levels.
Diagnosis is clinical, although sometimes Wood's lamp may be used to confirm excess melanin in the skin.
It requires long-term treatment, which aims to whiten the lesions. A combination of creams, peelings, lasers and pulsed light is used. Prevention with high-protection sunscreens is very important throughout the year. It is not contagious and does not turn into skin cancer, but there is no cure.
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