How Black Light Can Help Melasma Treatment
Early detection can help improve melasma treatment, and researchers believe they now have the key: black light. Some had already suggested black light could help dermatologists diagnose melasma depth, but researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered the technology can help diagnose melasma that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.
For their study, the researchers quantitatively measured amounts of melasma detected using natural light and using black light, then compared the two. They discovered that the black light did, in fact, detect melasma that was invisible in natural light. It seems that black light could be a valuable tool in detecting the skin condition early, treating melasma before it worsens and becomes a visible problem.
Black lights help by highlighting changes in color or fluorescence in the skin, making otherwise invisible dark patches appear visible, shining under the light. Even in patients who did not have visible melasma, the black lights in the study showed when the dark pigmentation was present within the skin, and likely to worsen and become visible without treatment.
Melasma can cause brown to gray-brown patches to appear on the skin, commonly on the cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin, usually symmetrical, but it can also occur on other areas of the body exposed to the sun. The skin condition is much more common in women than men, at a ratio of about nine to one, and often occurs in pregnant women, called chloasma or “the mask of pregnancy” in these cases. Although the condition is not medically harmful, it can make patients feel self-conscious about their appearance with their uneven skin tone.
Although the causes of melasma are not completely clear, estrogen and progesterone levels can affect the condition, with contraceptive pills, hormone therapy, and pregnancy all potential triggers. Those with dark skin are more prone to melasma than those with fair skin, and stress and thyroid disease may also be triggers. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause melasma to appear as it affects melanocytes, triggering excess pigment production.
Sometimes melasma will go away on its own, especially if it was triggered by pregnancy or birth control pills, but various treatments can also help. Doctors will recommend always wearing an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen while outside, wearing wide-brimmed hats and other protective clothing, and minimizing sun exposure, reducing the chance the UV radiation will trigger the hyperpigmentation. Beyond this, doctors may recommend skin creams that can help brighten skin, with ingredients such as hydroquinone or arbutin. Topical steroids may also help lighten skin, and treatments like microdermabrasion or chemical peels can help exfoliate the damaged skin cells to reveal lighter and brighter skin beneath.
Team Rejuvee