Melasma is a skin condition that results in brown, tan, grayish brown, or blue gray spots on the face, depending on your skin tone. Although the specific causes of melasma are unknown, sun exposure, pregnancy, and birth control pills are typical triggers. 

Melasma is most typically found on the cheekbones, nose, chin, upper lip, and forehead. It can cause problems with your arms, neck, and back. Melasma can damage any area of your skin that is exposed to the sun. As a result, most melasma sufferers observe that their symptoms intensify in the summer. 

Melasma is a frequent skin condition, particularly among pregnant women. It affects between 15% and 50% of pregnant women. Melasma affects between 1.5 percent and 33 percent of the population, and it occurs more frequently during a woman's reproductive years and seldom during adolescence. It generally begins between the ages of 20 and 40. 

Dermatologists prescribe the following steps to get a more uniform skin tone if you have melasma. Here’s how to take care of your skin in summer. 

Protect your skin from the sun. 

Sun protection is one of the most frequent melasma treatments. 

Because melasma is caused by exposure to sunlight, it is important to protect your skin every day, especially on overcast days and after swimming or sweating. When outside, seek shade wherever possible and wear sun-protective apparel such as a wide-brimmed hat and UV-protective eyewear. Choose a hat with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) number on the label for better protection. 

Apply sunscreen to any exposed skin that is not protected by clothes. Select a sunscreen that provides water resistance, broad spectrum protection, SPF of 30 or more, and Zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide to physically limit the effects of the sun’s rays on your skin and iron oxide. 

Change your routine. 

For someone with melasma, spending a lot of time in the sun is not a good idea since it might exacerbate their dark patches. Your best buddy is going to be the shade. Stay out of the sun as much as possible between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

Don't worry if you're going to the beach - you can still enjoy the waves and sand. Bring a beach umbrella and stay as close to the shade as possible. 

Use gentle soaps. 

You probably already know that scented soaps and lotions are off-limits if you have dry or sensitive skin. One way how to take care of your skin in summer is to use a gentle soap, which is naturally fragrance-free. Just make sure yours says "unscented" on the package. 

Even people with oily or mixed skin are safe! These types of soaps can help regulate your skin's natural oil production without removing essential oils or over-oiling it. 

Use sunscreen. 

Broad-spectrum sunscreens, particularly those that protect against light other than UV, will be crucial in preventing melasma from developing or deteriorating. Sunscreens with antioxidants and tints also provide additional protection. Physical blockers with tint are perfect since tinted filters widen your protection, protecting you not only from UV radiation but also from visible and infrared light, both of which play a part in melasma onset. 

If possible, use sunscreen every day.  

Apply a pigment blocker 

To fade melasma in your regions, use a skin-lightening cream once or twice a day. Spot-treatment should be avoided. Instead, before you finish your nighttime skin care routine, apply the product to your whole face. 

If you have severe hyperpigmentation, use this lotion first thing in the morning before applying sunscreen. 

Use retinol. 

Retinol is an excellent treatment for practically all aesthetic skin issues. Melasma is no different. Its capacity to exfoliate is what makes it useful in this scenario. You can slough off the darker cells when cell turnover accelerates up. This implies that spots will vanish with time. 

Take Pynocare.  

Pynocare has been clinically proven to diminish the appearance of dark spots in as little as eight weeks. To aid with hyperpigmentation, it contains substances like Procyanidin or French Maritime Pine Bark Extract, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Salina Extract. They restore normal melanin synthesis and are effective in combating the harmful free radicals that cause melasma development, allowing you to halt the dark patches. 

See a dermatologist. 

If you have obstinate melasma, you should consult a dermatologist who is board-certified. Melasma is often controlled with pharmaceutical medications. Because there is no cure for melasma, you'll need a doctor who can keep you informed on the latest treatments. 

Melasma is a difficult skin issue to deal with. You won't know you have it until you see it, and there's no way to avoid it completely. However, just as hormones and the sun work together to cause discolouration, sunscreen, staying out of the sun, pigment blockers, and retinol work together to cure the damage. 

That is how to take care of your skin in summer time.  

Article Reviewed by Dr. Zharlah G. Flores, MD, FPDS