Melasma is a skin condition that is very difficult to treat. Melasma causes irregular and patchy brown spots on the necks and faces of some women. It generally occurs in pregnant women or those who are taking birth control pills. It is believed that the dark pigmentation that occurs is a result of raised levels of estrogen. Other causes of melasma include sun exposure and genetics. In most cases, melasma will fade after a woman stops taking birth control pills or she gives birth. It may also never completely disappear.
Melasma is a benign skin disorder and there are no serious health consequences associated with it. People who are looking to treat this condition will usually do this for cosmetic reasons. There are many different treatments available to treat melasma, however some are very expensive and there is no guarantee that it will work. In some cases, but treatments can cause a condition to get worse.
Tretinoin and Melasma
When it comes to treat melasma, hydroquinone creams are the most popular option. These creams are very effective in reducing the look of Melasma on the skin. Generally people will notice a significant improvement between 6-12 weeks. For people will stop using hydroquinone, usually though alas not spots will reappear.
Tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova) is used sometimes along with hydroquinone to treat melasma. The reason this is done is due to the fact that tretinoin has the ability to increase skin cell turnover. When this occurs, it helps to reduce excess pigmentation. When used, tretinoin has the ability to lighten melasma spots slowly over a period of several months. Like hydroquinone, the spots will reappear once treatment has been stopped. There are no serious side effects in using tretinoin to treat melasma, the most common is skin irritation. This will occur when higher concentrations are used on the skin.