Oral contraceptives with the sun favors the appearance of melasma in young women.

After the summer we have seen a spike in queries made to skin specialists because of this problem.

- The melasma are large brown spots that appear on the face due to the sun. His main areas of occurrence are the forehead, cheeks and upper lip area.

- Young women who take oral contraceptives are more likely to suffer, but also affect older women who continue hormone replacement therapy, pregnant women and even men.

- The melasma, lentigo with, are the two main causes of dark spots on the skin of the face, neck and back of hands.

- Upon entry of the fall, experts call for a review of the skin by a specialist to determine their status after exposure to the sun.

The end of summer has brought a surge of dermatological consultations on spots on the skin. According to the experts, one of the main problems in these consultations is melasma, large brown spots that appear in the area of the upper lip, forehead and cheeks. As indicated by the dermatologist Nerea Landa, "most cases of melasma are trying to meet the typical profile of a young woman or girl who likes to sunbathe and normally follow a treatment with oral contraceptives."

According to the outlines of the clinic dermatologist Dermitek of Bilbao, the explanation for this lies in the combination of hormones and sun, which often results in the appearance of these spots on the skin. Thus, the hormonal changes experienced by women while taking the pill when pregnant or when you follow a hormone replacement therapy are behind the vast majority of cases of melasma. Moreover, pointing to its prevalence and genetic influences to a lesser extent also occurs in men.

The dermatologist says that the incidence of melasma among the younger female population is growing because of increased propensity to be exposed to solar radiation. "Although in the prospectuses of oral contraceptives is advised of the risk of photosensitivity, this aspect is considered in very few occasions when sunbathing or just walking down the street," says Landa .

Once the melasma appears, it can take years in the skin of the person, and even extended. Despite its intensity during the winter it may ease slightly, with the arrival of spring and an increased intensity of UV rays, reappear, sometimes in a very unsightly. "

Treatment

Due to the location of the areas of appearance of melasma,-the forehead, cheeks and upper lip area, are frequent consultations to eliminate these spots on the skin. "Before, they tended to recommend depigmentation cream, but because the pigmentation of melasma is deeper, his action was ineffective in many cases."

Thus, according to the expert, "to penetrate to the deeper layers of skin, has demonstrated that what is best is to use a depigmentation mask made with a concentrated formula that increases the presence of active principles in areas to be treated. Thus allowing the scaly skin of a more controlled manner, achieving greater efficiency in depigmentation.

Similarly, Landa emphasizes the recent addition of two new technologies to treat these blemishes: the intense pulsed light (Intense Pulsed Light) and broadband light (Broad Band Light). The latter is similar to the pulsed light "but are physically built better and allows high levels of controlled delivery of energy." Its mechanism of action is that the light emitted is absorbed by the deep pigmentation, decreasing the concentration of melanin and, therefore, clarifying the spots. "

Control after the summer

The dermatologist also emphasizes the medical control of the skin, to avoid health problems that can become serious as the appearance of blemishes and aging skin afean and can be easily prevented or treated. The sun spots are numerous, both benign and malignant, so it is important to a diagnosis by a specialist, "he stressed.

Thus, the expert also concerns Lentigo, small brown spots in the form of gout that appear mainly on the face, neck and hands. "The year Lentigo arise in areas that have been exposed to the sun and also are more visible. As time passes, they grow in number and size, so it sometimes can be really striking. " This type of sunspots also have an easy clinical treatment.

"In Dermitek use a laser Q-switch alexandrite gemstone-a-light in combination with broadband. The laser works by emitting light pulses in nanoseconds. Thus, the fragment obtained from the stain-pigment melanin, whose remains were subsequently removed by the body naturally, "says Landa. On the other hand, the broadband light (LBB) works "clarifying stains and rejuvenate the skin." At this time you can eliminate lentigo with these technologies in one or two treatment sessions.

As for melanoma, the incidence is increasing concern. The prevalence figures increasing year after year and the health is critical because it is a highly metastatic cancer. In those with a family history of this cancer, which has a light skin, a relevant number of nevi, sunburn in childhood and continued exposure to sunlight, the need to regularly check is essential and mandatory extreme measures of prevention and protection against solar radiation. "