Melasma
Melasma, otherwise known as a pregnancy mask, is the darkening of skin pigmentation due to pregnancy or other hormone shifts. This condition is not painful but does have serious cosmetic issues associated with it. This condition is known for reversing itself once the pregnancy has ended or the other conditions that cause the shift in hormones has ended. This condition is also known for reappearing during subsequent pregnancies and for being darker and heavier with each subsequent pregnancy.
Melasma Symptoms
Melasma is characterized by a darkening of the skin pigmentation in patches around the face. This condition is seen most often in women who are either pregnant or on oral contraceptives. However, the condition has been known to affect men, although this is rare. The condition is non-painful but can lead one to have body issues during a very volatile point in their life. Melasma is very dark and can be very easily seen from a distance. This can cause sever cosmetic concerns to be faced by women.
Treatment for Melasma
There is little that can be done in the line of treatment for this condition. It is well known that the condition will clear up on its own given time. Because the condition is most often triggered during pregnancy, the list of options is very short and most doctors will hesitate to do anything about the condition. For those who experience the condition in association with birth controls or contraceptives, the removal of the contraceptive is typically enough to cause the condition to fade naturally. If the condition reoccurs due to a subsequent pregnancy or a continuing of the contraceptive, the condition tends to be much darker than the original onset, and no action is taken to cause it to fade.
Once the pregnancy is over, the condition will reverse itself. The reversal process can be added in several manners. The first is to avoid all major unprotected sunlight. This is in general a good idea. This means limiting the time that one spends in the sun without sunscreen and limiting the time that one spends in tanning booths. In addition to this, chemical peels and lazar treatment can help to speed up the recovery of the cells. There are even creams that can help to limit the pigmentation of the skin and bring it back to its natural tone. None of these techniques are used during the pregnancy because of the risk to the baby in the inhalation of the chemicals or the use of the lazar.
For many women, Melasma is an annoyance of the pregnancy period, but is often left untreated. This pregnancy mask is often not noticed after the birth of the child and no longer bothersome to the individual. Many women also see fast results from the natural de-pigmentation of the skin back to its natural color. Others feel that the treatment helps them to bring their life back under their control and helps them deal with the new responsibilities that an infant brings to them. Both methods of treating the condition, natural and medical, are good and healthy and neither should be considered better than the other.
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