Home remedies to manage Melasma-Dr. Rasya Dixit

Melasma is a common condition in women of coloured skin who have brown skin and this is an increased pigmentation which is classically seen in the mid face area, on the cheeks, on the bridge of the nose, it can extend to the forehead, to the chin and it can even occur on the arms. This is a condition which distresses most woman because it pigments the face and it is disfiguring for them. They would do anything to get it better. But when you look at the origin of melasma it is a combination of sun exposure, familial inheritance type, stress, exposure to too much heat, not eating enough antioxidants like brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. So when you have these things which are causing this a home remedy may not be a correct solution. But using a good sunscreen and using it religiously helps in lightening it out. So even if you are indoors or outdoors use your sunscreen. Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables especially tomatoes, carrots, figs, pomegranates, papayas these have got a lot of lycopenes, beta carotenoids, bioflavanoids which are all antioxidants. They help to brighten out the skin. Using products may actually be harmful to the skin because these have little bit of chemicals in them like lemon has citric acid. So when you put such things on the skin they actually dry out the skin. They make the skin more sensitive and the melasma which is an inflammatory disorder may actually become worse. So if you are not getting better by doing a simple sunscreen and eating a healthy diet. They can advice you on chemical peels or treatments or tablets which will help to keep the melasma in check.