Melasma and sun damage can look very similar, but are not the same thing. It’s best to know the difference between the two so you can find the right course of treatment.
Melasma is pigment on the face. No one likes it and we all want it gone!
It is a hormonal pigment condition that is aggravated by heat and sun exposure. It can be hard to treat and it is most likely something that you have to work on for the rest of your life.
When the hormones are disrupted by pregnancy, hormonal conditions, or whatever the cause might be it can cause discoloration on the face. The discoloration or hyperpigmentation appears brown or grayish in color.
These patches are often common on the forehead, upper lip, cheeks and chin. It can be in all of these areas of the face or localized to one area.
A lot of women will come in and say their face looks “dirty” during the summertime. Often this hyperpigmentation worsens in the spring/summer months because we are out in the hot elements of the weather with our skin unprotected.
Unfortunately ladies, men are very unlikely to get melasma. Aren't we lucky?
The surest tell sign that your pigmentation is melasma is if the patches mirror one another. Think of butterfly wings, they are symmetrical. Just like butterfly wings your patches will be the same on both sides.
Now let's talk about sun damage. Our skin can be damaged by the sun all day everyday. It's kind of unavoidable and it is part of the aging process.
That's why it's so SO important to wear sunscreen everyday and reapply it often!
Things like sunburns, blistering, heat rash, swelling of the skin can all happen from the sun. This is the type of sun damage you want to highly avoid. When the skin is damaged in these ways the melanin is affected.
The elastin, collagen and overall skin barrier is damaged when your skin is overexposed to the sun with no protection.
Some of this damage is irreversible and this is why SPF is so important. The results of sun damage can be seen as sunspots, darkening of the skin, fine lines, wrinkles, dehydration and leathering.
Now both of these conditions can be treated, but it is much easier to prevent sun damage than it is to treat it. Like I said before, Melasma is usually a lifelong struggle. Sun damage is more in the middle ground.
The best advice I can give is to wear your sunscreen! It”s my #1 skincare tip!
If you have questions about melasma or sun damage come see us at the spa for a skin consultation and we will guide you in the right treatment direction.
