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Melasma
Melasma is a chronic acquired form of hyperpigmentation that appears as symmetrical brown or grey-brown patches, usually across the cheeks, forehead and upper lip. It develops when pigment-producing cells become overly sensitive and deposit melanin unevenly. By nature it tends to recur, so it is managed over time rather than cured.
An alarm set too sensitive
Melanin is made by melanocytes, cells that share pigment with surrounding skin cells like a filling station serving its neighbourhood. In melasma, these cells behave like an alarm that has become too sensitive, reacting to the smallest signal. Hormones, light and heat keep them switched on, so pigment builds in patches. Because the trigger sits deep in the skin's terrain, melasma is persistent and prone to returning.
Why does melasma develop?
Melasma rarely comes from a single source. It usually reflects a sensitized terrain where hormones, light, heat and a low-grade inflammatory component combine to overstimulate melanocytes. Understanding which factors are at play, and how deep the pigment sits, helps explain why melasma behaves differently from one person to the next and why a gentle, consistent approach matters most.
Hormonal sensitivity
Estrogen and progesterone make melanocytes more reactive, which is why melasma often appears or worsens during pregnancy, where it is known as the mask of pregnancy, and with hormonal contraception or other hormonal shifts. Women are most affected, though men can develop it too. The hormonal terrain primes the cells, so other triggers then produce visible pigment more easily.
Light beyond UV
Once melanocytes are sensitized, they overreact not only to ultraviolet rays but also to visible light, including bright indoor light and screens, and to ordinary daylight through windows. This is why a standard sunscreen filtering UV alone does not block every trigger. Each exposure signals the cells to release more pigment, so light control has to be broader than usual.
Heat as a signal
Heat itself can stimulate sensitized melanocytes, independent of light. Warm environments, hot showers, intense exercise and even heat-generating treatments can keep the cells switched on. This is one reason aggressive or heating procedures can paradoxically worsen melasma rather than improve it, because they add the very signal the skin is already overreacting to.
Depth of the pigment
Where the pigment settles shapes how melasma responds. Epidermal pigment sits more superficially and tends to lighten more readily. Dermal pigment lies deeper, trapped lower in the skin, and is far more stubborn. Many cases are mixed. A faint vascular and inflammatory component often feeds the process underneath, which is why calm, gentle care is favoured over forceful methods.
How to Prevent
Personalized treatments for you.
PicoSure Laser
Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL)
Advanced Fluorescence Technology (AFT)
Dermapure Signature Peel
Jessner Peel
MeLine Peel
Custom Chemical Peel
