Atopic Dermatitis: a Short Summary
Epidemiology
Melasma (chloasma, pregnancy mask) is more frequent in Caucasian individuals with the following genetic factors:
- In Germans, Poles and Russians
- In individuals of Jewish descent (location is typically on the the face)
- If we take into account skin phototypes (Fitzpatrick):
- types I and II phototypes tend to have melasma before pregnancy and in young women
- (types V and VI tend to have melasma at a later age (after pregnancy) and even post-menopausal)
It can have a dermal and/or epidermal location. Wood’s lamp is useful to determine the depth as well as to differentiate with other pigmentary disorders such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
Treatment of Melasma
- Prevention
- Choice of contraceptives
- Sunscreen (against visible light and not only UVs)
Treatment depends on the depth of pigmentation:
- Superficial (epidermal) pigmentaton:
- bleaching agents (Hydroquinone, arbutin, azelaic acid, kojic, tretinoin, lipoic acid…)
- A word on retinoids (tretinoin): they can be used to treat Melasma, PIH (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation), Lentigenes….they eliminate pigmentation but do not depigment normal skin.
- Deep (Dermal) pigmentation
- Chemical peels
- Dermabrasion
- Lasers
To learn more about a safe and effective depigmenting cream, click here.
Contributors:
Dr Christophe HSU – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland
Source of Information: 2012 (09) – Placek W. 21st Annual Congress of the EADV (European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology) – Prague (Praha), Czech Republic (česká republika)
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