Chloasma - Chloasma Symptom, Causes, Treatment

Chloasma is a blotchy brown pigment marks that some women develop on the face and/or neck during pregnancy or while taking the contraceptive pill. Chloasma also occurs as a side-effect of taking contraceptive pills and injected depot contraceptive preparations. It may also be noticed in apparently healthy, normal, non-pregnant women where it is presumed to be due to some mild and harmless hormonal imbalance.

In women, Chloasma the hormone oestrogen is thought to cause an over-reaction of the pigment forming cells of the skin in response to sunlight. Chloasma is especially common in women aged 20-40. It affects the forehead, cheeks and upper lips. It occurs frequently during pregnancy and is more common in dark skins than in fair skins.

Treatment and Diagnosis of Chloasma

Chloasma may be prevented by always using sunscreen on sun-exposed skin. Established chloasma usually fades after a year or so of protecting the skin from sunlight, but in some cases it never disappears completely. Your doctor may use a special lamp that gives off ultraviolet light. This allows the doctor to see patterns and depth of skin discoloration more clearly. The best way to prevent Chloasma is to limit skin exposure to the sun. If you go out in the sun, take these preventive measures:

• Wear a hat with a brim to shade and protect your face.
• Apply sun block (such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) to vulnerable areas.
• Use sunscreen that protects against both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation. The sunscreen should have a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.

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