The opposite of Vitiligo, Melasma is a hyperpigmentary disease. It is a little more common, especially in the United States and Mexico. Melasma is better known as the “pregnancy mask” as it occurs in women, affecting their cheeks, upper lip, and forehead.
Melasma is a condition with too much pigmentation, while vitiligo is a condition with not enough pigmentation. These two conditions are a result of entirely different processes and are unrelated to one another.
There are two main causes of melasma: radiation, whether ultraviolet, visible light, or infrared (heat) light; and hormones. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation from the sun are key in making melasma worse.
One is idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH), or small spots that appear on skin that has had chronic sun exposure (usually the shins and forearms, but sometimes the chest and back as well).
How can one prevent spreading of vitiligo? - Dr. Nischal K
What are autoimmune white spots on skin?
Vitiligo is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. This happens when melanocytes – skin cells that make pigment – are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn a milky-white color.
When melasma appears, it can cause tan, brown, grayish brown, or bluish gray patches and freckle-like spots. These usually appear on certain areas of face like the cheeks, forehead, chin, and even above the upper lip. While less common, melasma can develop on the arms, neck, or elsewhere.
Melasma may go away on its own. This usually happens when a trigger, such as pregnancy or a medication, causes melasma. When you deliver your baby or stop taking the medication, melasma can fade. Melasma can also last for years, or even a lifetime.
Most people with melasma do not need treatment. Melasma may fade away slowly if you stop taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. If melasma appeared while you were pregnant, it may go away a few months after you have the baby. If melasma doesn't fade or it bothers you, it can be treated.
Who gets vitiligo? People of all races and skin colors can get vitiligo, and the disease occurs about equally in people of all races. About half the people who develop vitiligo get it before they turn 20 years of age. For many of these people, vitiligo begins when they're a child.
Results: There was no specific association established between vitiligo and ABO and Rh blood groups. Blood group B showed the most difference but still it was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: There was no association with the ABO and Rh blood group in vitiligo patients.
Melasma is most common in people who tan easily or have naturally brown skin (Fitzpatrick skin phototypes III, IV). It is less common in people with fair skin (Fitzpatrick types I, II) or black skin (Fitzpatrick types V, VI).
The patch pattern can also help you determine if you have melasma or hyperpigmentation. "Hyperpigmentation is usually very focused, whereas melasma appears as broad patches with intervening areas of clearing," says Anthony Rossi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
If you have dark spots on your skin, it can be hard to tell if it's hyperpigmentation or melasma, as both are extremely common. While they are two different dermatological conditions, they can look and act alike, and they are both caused by similar things.
If you're not okay with chemicals, then you can always go for natural treatment for melasma. Below are few common ways to do so. Turmeric Turmeric contains curcumin, a strong antioxidant that results in lighter skin. Using a 1:2 ratio, mix milk with turmeric powder and apply the mixture on the affected areas.
Causes. Melasma is a common skin disorder. It most often appears in young women with brownish skin tone, but it can affect anyone. Melasma is often associated with the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Melasma is divided into three types: epidermal, dermal, and mixed melasma. Epidermal melasma is the most superficial with an increase in the skin pigment (melanin) in the top layer of skin (epidermis). In dermal melasma, there is increased skin pigment in the second deeper layer of the skin (the dermis).
In some patients, discolored patches and spots can appear as a symptom of certain skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, and actinic keratosis. In melasma, hyperpigmentation of the skin is caused by the excess production of melanocytes and it is usually harmless.
Bier spots are small, irregular, hypopigmented macules that are usually found on the arms and legs. The macules disappear when the limb is raised. Bier spots have been reported in association with a number of conditions but there is no consistent association to specific desease.
Does any vitamin deficiency cause white spots on skin?
Deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D and vitamin E can cause white patches on the skin. While harmless, these white spots indicate that you need to eat a healthy, balanced diet.