Melasma is a common skin condition that occurs when melanocytes produce too much pigmentation in the skin, resulting in dark, discoloured patches on the skin. The common area affected is the face on the cheeks, forehead and chin, but it can also occur on the arms or other parts of the body.
There are three types of Melasma:
- Epidermal: occurs in the top layers of the skin and results in brown hyperpigmentation with well-defined borders.
- Dermal: Occurs in the deeper layers of the skin resulting in blue-grey patches. Tanning beds that mainly use UVA rays may trigger this type of damage inside the skin.
- Mixed: This is a combination of epidermal and dermal, resulting in brown-grey pigment.