What Causes Melasma and Hyperpigmentation?

Melasma is a benign skin condition characterized by excessive pigment deposition in the skin. Hyperpigmentation is generally diffuse in the area of the upper cheeks, forehead, and jawline.
The top 4 causes of melasma are as follows:

Hormones (Estrogen, Progesterone)
Genetics
Sun Exposure
Inflammation of the skin

Treatment is based on reducing the production of pigment in the melanocytes. Although there are several alternative natural treatments, the most effective are the following:

Hydroquinone
Chemical peels
IPL
Fractionated Laser (Fraxel)

However, be careful as the last three treatments, although effective, can actually worsen the melasma if not done by an experienced physician.

Pigmentation/melasma can be a result of multiple different factors including genetics, sun damage, etc. Pigmentation  needs a combination approach of peels like cosmelan, lasers like clear and brilliant and aerolase or laser genesis, radiofrequency like venus viva, and constant skin care and sun protection. Bi-monthly facials with silk peel dermal-infusion are also essential to hydrate, exfoliate, and infuse vitamins and antioxidants into the skin. If you have acne you can do additional treatments and peels to get more improvement. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist. Best, Dr. Emer

Melasma is caused when melanocytes in the skin produce too much pigment creating brown or grey-brown patches on the face.  Exacerbating factors that cause melanoctyes to produce pigment include:-sun exposure- UV light can cause melanocyte to produce melanin-hormonal changes- pregnancy and birth control pills as well as hormone replacement can trigger melasma-inflammation or irritation- heat exposure, cosmetics, or other inflammatory conditions can exacerbate the condition.

Melasma can be treated the most effectively with the following:
Hydroquinone
Chemical peels
IPL
Fractionated Laser
As the other physicians have mentioned, however care and consideration must be used for patients with darker skin types as hypopigmentation may occur, creating a whole separate problem.
Consult a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon.
Good luck!

Brown spots on the skin—typically on the face, chest, shoulders, and back of hands—can be the direct result of unprotected exposure to the sun. They can also be a result of hormonal changes and are a common skin problem that we, consult many of our patients about.
The flat spots on the skin—also called age spots, sun spots, solar lentigines, or liver spots (even though they have nothing to do with the liver)—are triggered after prolonged sun exposure. When the sun’s UV rays hit the skin, they damage the pigment-producing cells called melanocytes and causing a spike in production of the skin pigment called melanin. They’re common in patients with fair skin, but they can also appear in those with darker skin.
These spots range in color from brown to tan to dark brown based on how much sun exposure you’ve had—and cause your skin to look blotchy, freckled, and uneven. And they vary in size, again depending on how much sun you’ve been exposed to.
Link to hormones: As hormone levels may change during events such as pregnancy or due to birth control pills, brown, uneven patches can appear on a woman’s face when the skin is exposed to the sun. It seems that sunlight triggers the pigment-producing cells in the skin to go into overdrive. Called the melasma, these dark patches may persist and not improve even with bleaching creams.
We commonly treat these brown spots or patches with chemical peels (which exfoliate the outermost layer of skin, removing the dark spots), light therapy and lasers (the energy blasts away pigment).