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Melasma, undesired effect from exposure to the sun
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San José, Costa Rica. May, 2015.
A light blemish that gradually appears on the cheeks and later invades other areas of the face such as the forehead, nose or moustache area, after long exposure to the sun, is known as melasma, the main consequence of which are its effects on the person´s appearance.
According to Dr. Orietta Mata Jiménez, dermatologist of the Clínica Bíblica Hospital, “melasma is a skin disorder that generally manifests itself in a brown colored blemish and especially attacks people with dark skins”.
This is a disease that can also have a hereditary factor and is more common among women. However, a small percentage of men also suffer from this, generally after 20 years-old. In our country it is very common, since it is a country with a tropical climate with a prolonged dry season and because we have more dark than white skins.
Treatment
There is no treatment for removing the spot completely. It depends on the engagement of the person, since once the disorder occurs, he/she must completely renounce to sun exposure.
50% of the treatment´s effectiveness depends on the frequency with which you use solar protection. The sun that causes blemishes is not necessarily the yellow sun that we see when the sky is clear. Simply being exposed to the radiation and light of the sun behind a window affects one, even when it is cloudy or raining.
“The basic treatment is sunscreen. Depending on the skin color of the person, a sunscreen with less than 30% of protection factor is not recommended. The ideal is as a minimum 50% said the dermatologist.
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Melanin is what protects against the sun´s radiation, so that some face cells produce more melanin upon entering into contact with solar radiation and that is why the blemish appears.
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Prevention
The first thing is to always use sunscreen and avoid as much as possible exposure to the sun for long periods. If you do so, you should put on sunscreen as many times as necessary in case sweat or water contact dissipates it.
In order to obtain further information or request medical attention, you may call telephone number 2522-1000, write to the following email citas@clinicabiblica.com or via chat at www.clinicabiblica.com
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Clínica Bíblica Hospital
