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Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:32 pm  |
I have a couple of small brown spots on each cheek, and have always assumed they were caused by the sun. They have not got darker or grown larger in size for the past 4-5 years since I started to notice them.
But a doctor said it was melasma or hormone related. I always thought melasma is a dark patch more black and not brown. I saw a co-worker with this dark patch on her cheek and it covers a big wide area of her cheek. I always assumed it was melasma.
So how do you know what you have? Age/liver spots, sun spots, or melasma? Does the treatment differ from one to another? |
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Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:51 pm |
| Hi Bira, may I suggest that you go to "Google Images" and put in the word you are inquiring about. You'll see lots of photos of skin with hyperpigmentation. |
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Tue Jul 07, 2009 4:31 pm |
Sun/age/liver spots and melasma can all be brownish in color. In fact, for most people melasma isn't black but lightish brown.(There are two kinds of melasma—dermal and epidermal—and dermal melasma can be blueish or grayish in color). Melasma often starts as smaller spots and grows into patches.
Since yours are small and haven't grown, my guess is that they are age/liver/sun spots (really common on cheeks where we get a lot of sun exposure). These respond very well to IPL. I had a few IPL sessions for redness and the one small sunspot I had on my left cheek got dark (almost black) then flaked off in three days. It was like magic!
Melasma is trickier to treat and can often be made worse by IPL.
HTH!
--Poreless |
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Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:02 pm |
| Thank you both for responding. I looked through the pictures of Melasma, and don't think I have this. My largest spot is 2 mm in width and round. I don't have a patch which seems to be the case with melasma. |
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Wed Jul 08, 2009 7:45 pm |
| Bira wrote: |
| Thank you both for responding. I looked through the pictures of Melasma, and don't think I have this. My largest spot is 2 mm in width and round. I don't have a patch which seems to be the case with melasma. |
I agree with poreless. Sounds like age spots to me. |
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Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:25 pm |
| I sympathize! Brown is brown, melasma is influenced by estrogen, age spots can be influenced by how your body deals with damage. Melasma just keeps coming... What has helped mine the most is Epidermx II by NaturDerm (EDS sells under natural and organic) It is a natural lightener which helps, great fading and it really controls it. All of their products are silicone and paraben free, organic and work great! |
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Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:45 pm |
Thank you for the recommendation. I'm trying Reviva Labs fading cream right now. It has hydroquinone in it, but I don't intend to use it for longer than 3 months if that. Wish me luck!  |
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