Can melasma or pregnancy marks be treated? - Dr. Amee Daxini

Pregnancy marks or melasma is a skin condition which is stimulated by internal hormones which is why you see it after your delivery because the hormones change during pregnancy and make it more sensitive to ultraviolet light as w ell as production of more melanin from within. Unfortunately with so many medications available in India and over the word we have not yet been able to cack or treat melasma completely. One of the reasons could be because it is multifactorial and because it is hormone based but if you use a sunscreen regularly, the right kind of sunscreen, and a good antipigmentation cream at night and follow it up regularly for a long period of time we have seen that melasma lightens and it is barely visible. Use of a sunscreen is a must. Secondly your diet plays a very important role. Anything that increases the inflammation in the body or the glucose in the body, that can cause rise in the melanin secretion and or that causes more melasma that is evident. So use of a sunscreen and use of good antioxidants in your diet, reducing the amount of sugar, coffee, tea, nicotine as well as alcohol is known to reduce melasma. But unfortunately we cannot completely treat it.