These days, a term is taking rounds on social media: glass, spot-free skin. We know how disturbing and unnerving it can be to find dark patches on your skin in this day and age. According to dermatologists, this uneven skin tone is either melasma or hyperpigmentation.
These two words are often used as substitutes, but there is a difference between them, which is what we are here to find out.
Hyperpigmentation and melasma are two of the main kinds of skin conditions that cause discoloration.
Melasma Vs Hyperpigmentation
It is not that easy to tell if the brown spots on your skin are simply hyperpigmentation marks or an indication of melasma.
Melasma vs hyperpigmentation is differentiated easily by the lack of a prior rash on the skin and symmetric melasma.
If you feel sudden itching in your skin, it indicates post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Moreover, the presence of pimples or pustules shows that hyperpigmentation is from acne.
Melasma and sun-induced hyperpigmentation occur without dishing out symptoms; however, the symmetric and circular melasma helps to differentiate the two easily.
Sun-induced hyperpigmentation slowly gets worse each year due to additional sun exposure. However, melasma typically gets worse every summer but improves as soon as winter arrives.4
You can have one condition, two, or a combination of all three. The good news is that there are many treatments available to treat them.
Is Melasma Hyperpigmentation?
Melasma is a specific kind of hyperpigmentation on your skin. Melasma is not like other types of hyperpigmentation because of its root cause.
Melasma is a result of hormonal changes that happen inside the body, and not by sun exposure.
Various factors are associated with it, each of which induces the development of a melanin component present in the skin that gives dark color.
Melasma resembles freckle spots or maybe big, dark-like patches with irregular boundaries.
It is symmetric, non-pattern, blotchy dark patches on the face. It most commonly appears on the face – cheeks, forehead, nose bridge, chin, and upper lip.
Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition that shows up in the form of patches on the skin that are darker than its surrounding area.
Sun exposure sits amongst the top most cause of hyperpigmentation. It s important for you to take care of your skin with the help of sunblock. Otherwise, harmful UV radiation from the sun will cause damage.
The result of this UV attack presents in the form of benign freckles to more serious illnesses like skin cancer.
Usually, hyperpigmentation appears like small to big brown patches varied in tone and severity. The area may also appear like a patch, visually very similar to melasma.
Brown spots or better known as age spots are the most frequently occurring kind of hyperpigmentation from frequent exposure to the sun.
Final Words
Whether it is hyperpigmentation due to sun exposure or melasma, professionals from Care Dermatologists in Florida have a way to treat them for you. Give us a call at Villages (352) 218-3211 Fruitland Location and (352) 612-1722 Kissimmee Location (407) 553-3979.