What should you know about melasma skin discoloration?

The colour may be light brown, deeper brown, or grey-brown, and patches often occur on both sides of the face. Common areas include the cheeks, forehead, nose, and upper lip. Melasma is different from a bruise or an open sore because the skin is usually intact. Other causes of dark patches include post-inflammatory pigmentation, some medicines, and sun-damaged skin, so a visual examination matters before starting treatment.

Choose fragrance-free, non-irritating products and apply sunscreen as directed, including when you spend time near windows or outdoors. Hats and shade add useful protection. Do not peel or scrub the patches at home. A clinician may recommend a topical plan and then consider skin brightening treatment, chemical peel, microneedling, or laser toning when appropriate. Improvement is gradual, and maintenance may be needed because pigment can return after light exposure.

Book a review when discoloration is new, rapidly changing, unusually itchy, painful, scaly, bleeding, or limited to one irregular spot. Seek care sooner for a non-healing lesion or pigment accompanied by swelling. These features do not establish a diagnosis, but they call for examination rather than cosmetic self-treatment.

What pattern do you see, and could another condition mimic it? Which sunscreen and active ingredients are suitable for me? Should I avoid a procedure while my skin is irritated, and how will we judge progress?