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The never-ending battle between Asians the world over and the sun starts when we’re young. Since we can remember, our mothers have been there with the tubes of SPF 50, T-shirts, and hats to keep the sun’s rays off our skin. We always wondered why and protested vehemently when the sunscreen stung our eyes.
Now, we’re getting on with our lives and those of us that didn’t listen are sometimes faced with pigmentation disorders our 7-year-old selves wouldn’t have even imagined. We all crave glowing, clear skin, but while Asian genes mean aging gracefully, it also means our skin is more prone to scarring, sunspots, and frictional melanosis (pigmentation caused by repeated friction on the skin). Melasma is one of the most commonly occurring pigmentation disorders faced by those of us with Asian skin, read on to learn more about melasma and its treatments.
What Is Melasma?
Melasma is patchy, brown hyperpigmentation on the face and neck (and sometimes the chest and arms) that can be psychologically debilitating. It affects around 40% of women and 20% of men in Southeast Asia. It is more common in females, people with darker skin tones, and it can run in families. Unlike chronic hyperpigmentation from the harsh Australian and New Zealand sun, which appears as random spots or freckles, melasma often appears in symmetrical patterns.
Melasma appears in different areas of the face, including the forehead, eyebrows, cheeks, chin, nasolabial folds, upper lip, earlobes or medial canthal lines. The discolouration can also appear on the lower legs or arms if they are exposed to sunlight for extended periods.
What Causes Melasma?
- Sun exposure: This is the main reason that people develop hyperpigmentation as a result of melanocyte stimulation.
- Melanocytes: The cells in the skin and eyes responsible for producing melanin. High concentrations or hyper-activation creates patches of darker skin.
- Hormonal changes: Melanocytes can misbehave under the presence of hormonal changes or imbalances, including thyroid dysfunction. Similarly, menopause, birth control pills, and cosmetics affecting estrogen and progesterone have been linked to this condition. Genetics play a big role in this as well; of all cases, about 50% of them can be attributed to genetic history.
- Pregnancy: Sometimes called the ‘mask of pregnancy’, melasma can develop due to the hormonal changes brought about by pregnancy.
- Contributing diseases: Hyperpigmentation can be caused by other diseases such as Addison’s, hemochromatosis, and lentigines.
Melasma Treatment
Due to the complexity of its causes, melasma treatments similar to the treatments used for pigmentation problems caused by acne, such as brightening and fading active ingredients, hydroquinone, topical retinoids and chemical peels. In addition, certain in-clinic abrasion, laser, and light therapies have been shown to be safe and effective melasma treatments for Asian skin.
- Microdermabrasion: A mildly abrasive instrument is used to remove the top layer of skin, often used for treating scarring, discolouration, sun damage, and stretch marks.
- Laser Treatment: While laser treatment is appropriate for treating melasma in some cases, it should be used with extreme caution to prevent post-inflammatory pigmentation (a darkening of the skin). When other treatments have not been successful, laser treatment can be considered using very low setting Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers or fractional lasers.
- Chemical Peel: Glycolic peels are commonly used to treat melasma. Azelaic acid reduces melasma in darker skin tones with its anti-melanin properties that act on hyperactive melanocytes.
- Light Therapy: This uses heat from intense-pulsed light (IPL) to remove pigment. However, the heat diffuses to the surrounding tissues, possibly resulting in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and a potential relapse within three months. Consult your doctor and dermatologist before taking this route.
- Prescription Only Compounded Creams & Serums: Over the last few years, we have seen more and more telehealth providers creating personalised melasma treatments for patients, like the company Qr8 MediSkin, based on their lifestyles, and current skincare routines. This type of treatment begins with a questionnaire, followed by an online or in-person consultation with a doctor, who will then diagnose your issue based on a complex 3D model of your problem area. A prescription-only cream base or serum is then formulated for your needs and delivered to your door.
The Best Active Ingredients In Melasma Treatments
Hydroquinone: Hydroquinone is used to lighten dark areas of skin, such as freckles, age spots, and melasma, or injury to the skin. Hydroquinone reduces the formation of melanin in the skin.
Tretinoin: Tretinoin is a derivative of vitamin A. It is used on the skin (topically) to treat mild to moderate acne and skin damaged by excessive sun exposure. It increases the rate at which your cells reach maturity and die, therefore quickly replacing the damaged cells with new and healthy ones, free of hyperpigmentation.
Corticosteroids: Some of you may already be familiar with this treatment. Typically, it is used in a variety of ways with the main effect being the reduction of inflammation and immune responses. This is often added to treatment creams to mitigate the more extreme reactions created in the body.
Is There Anything You Can Do To Help Prevent Melasma?
Yes! Sunscreen is one of the most overlooked items in the beauty and skincare industry. For those of us who love spending time outdoors, or even for those who have no choice but to work in the sun, we must remember to protect our skin from the ultra-violet (UV) rays, even though sunshine is necessary for your overall health (vitamin D).
A ‘broad-spectrum’ SPF of 30 and above should be your go-to product, and part of your daily skincare routine. Even if the weather is overcast, put on your sunscreen – UVA light and UVB light cuts through cloud cover, and UBV also penetrates water. There is no one sunscreen on the market that can give you total protection, which is why sunglasses, hats, and protective clothing are often necessary in when the sun is particularly harsh.
To prevent melasma from occurring or reoccurring, we advise that you take extra care when it comes to sun protection, as well as staying away from any sorts of treatments that can cause hormonal imbalances
Over the years, you might have seen the sign handwritten in all caps, nailed to the telephone pole just as you exit the freeway — “WE WILL BUY YOUR HOUSE FOR CASH.” Some of these advertisements are not genuine. Most of them can be scams or shady deals you wont want to take a part of. To be on the safer side, it is advisable that you sell your houses for cash in California to a professional and reputable home buyer.
However, there are still many steps that you still need to take before selling your property. As we all know, it is best to be prepared and there are some mistakes you should avoid when selling your home in LA. We have come up with this article to enlighten you on these mistakes and offer you the most-secured way of selling your houses for cash in California. Let’s explore more.
Mistakes to Avoid When Trying To Sell Your Home in Los Angeles
- Selling Your Home Before You Are Ready
Before you decide to put the “For Sale” sign on your house, examine why you are ready to move, talk it over with your family and friends, and neighbors if necessary. If you need to make a list of Pros and Cons to weigh the alternatives, do so to ensure you are really ready to sell your home.
- Making Emotional Decisions
A lot of people get emotional when selling their first house. And why wouldn’t you? You have spent a lot of time and effort to acquire the home. You have even lived inside it for some time and created many memories. Although many people find it hard to keep their emotions in check when saying goodbye, it is not impossible. Just think of yourself as a business person and see the house as an empty shell once you have made a decision to sell it. It is even better if you can forget that you are the owner. You should look at the transaction from a financial perspective. This will also distance you from being emotional on the sale.
- High Pricing
Whether you are working with an agent or selling the house yourself, the key to successfully selling your home is the pricing. You may assume that the price you set for your house is worth it, but remember that fixing a realistic price based on the cost of the comparable homes in the area will attract a buyer to you faster, and you can sell the house quicker.
- Selling Your House During the Winter
The winter period is one of the most dangerous times to sell your property. You will most likely witness slow sales and unattractive offers because people are busy occupied with various social engagements.
- Using Low–Quality Photos
This is one of the mistakes you should always avoid, especially when you want to attract high-quality buyers. If you do not have great visuals of your home, getting good buyers may be difficult. Since many buyers will not be in your house physically to look at the condition, they will most likely view it from their computers, phones, iPad, and other gadgets.
Thus, having good and attractive photos of your home is one of the best ways to attract them. You should showcase the best features of your home to convince them even more. When you have a good photo of your home, your house will be more attractive, and it will be easier for people to like and show interest.
- Hiding the Significant Problems
You are trying to sell your home, so you don’t want to disclose that you had a major water leak in the bathroom 2 years ago, right? This is a wrong decision. You should not keep the current condition and the past history of your home a secret to potential buyers. In fact, a home inspector could locate the problem later in the negotiations. And this could affect the safety of the buyer. Be honest and take care of all repairs before attempting to sell your home.
- Hiring a Realtor Based On Personal Preference
It is possible that you have a Realtor in your family or know one that is a friend of a friend. Although this may be great on a personal level, it can be a disadvantage when you disagree on selling tactics and other important home decisions. It is in your best interests to ensure you research their history of selling homes in your area. Check their professional background before hiring.
