Melasma appears as dark patches of coloured skin mainly the face and Melasma Upper Lip. Melasma is very common – affecting millions of people worldwide. Those most affected are women with olive skin tones who live in warmer climates and who are frequently exposed to heat and sun.
It is known that those with Melasma may suffer psychological problems as they can become very embarrassed about their appearance and begin to withdraw socially. While it is known that Melasma can be a very expensive condition to treat (as creams can cost from between $20 to $200 per tube and the average cost of fraxel laser is between $600 to $1500 per treatment) the financial impacts of Melasma can extend beyond the cost of skin treatments.
For example, some sufferers may also feel their Melasma limits their career success because employers did not understand the nature of the disease and may place sufferers in situations where they are working outdoors or under harsh fluorescent lighting in hot conditions for lengthy periods. All these factors exacerbate Melasma and can act as a strong deterrent for sufferers. Some sufferers may also begin to limit their work related activities – perhaps passing up on the opportunity to travel for work and attend events and conferences that can further their career networks and opportunities. Not only can Melasma limit activities professionally but sufferers may also deny themselves the pleasure of leisure and sporting activities because they feel embarrassed about their skin and do not wish to be seen without makeup.
What is important to note about Melasma is that some believe that stress can make the condition worse. That is right – those who feel emotionally and psychologically stressed by Melasma and those who feel embarrassed and anxious about social situations due to their condition may actually be making their condition worse by worrying about it constantly.
This means that stress is deeply implicated in both the outcome and triggers of the condition – Melasma causes stress and Melasma can ‘flare up’ when sufferers are particularly stressed. Of course the impacts and outcomes of stress will vary from person to person however in most cases stress and anxiety have a role to play. The reasons why stress and anxiety trigger Melasma is a complicated process and not fully understood by many in the medical profession who do not specialise in this area. Because of this sufferers are rarely given advice on how to manage their lives more effectively to diminish their condition.
Many who have used stress reduction techniques and systematically addressed and removed sources of stress in their lives have experienced improvement in their Melasma and as such this underscores the need to have a holistic approach in treating and curing this debilitating condition.
