One of the more common skin conditions that afflict women and to a lesser degree men is melasma. Melasma is a condition that causes a tan colored or sometimes darker discoloration of a person’s skin. It commonly occurs in pregnant women, women who are taking oral contraceptives and women who are taking hormone replacement medications.

Beyond occurring in women of all races as described a moment ago, melasma can also be found on the skin of men and women who are of Native American descent (primarily on the forearms) and in people of both sexes who are of German or Russia Jewish descent. In the cases of these individuals the condition more often than not occurs on a person’s face.

There actually are a number of suspected causes for melasma. More research is being done in regard to the causes with the hopes of being able to find a protocol through which the condition might be prevented in the first instance. However, with that said, there are some different treatment options available to a person afflicted with melasma.

The treatment options that are being utilised to combat melasma today include:

topical treatments

tertinion, which is an acid based treatment regimen

azelaic, which is another acid based treatment procedure

facial peels

laser treatments

A skin care professional can assist you in determining which course of treatment will be best suited to you when it comes to your own melasma treatment. You do need to keep in mind that these different treatment regimens have proven effective in eliminating the blemishes. Indeed, depending on the extent of melasma and its location on your body, you very well may find that one or another of these different treatment options or procedures will be able to assist you in resolving the problem in a rather short period of time. You can be on your way to having healthy looking skin sooner rather than later.

DermaNetwork.org is a leading provider of melasma information and resources. Find a local skin care professional today.