Slide show: Sun damage

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Melasma

Also referred to as chloasma or "mask of pregnancy," melasma is a brown darkening of facial skin. Melasma likely occurs from a combination of factors, including exposure to sunlight and an increase in the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Melasma often affects women with dark skin and those who take oral contraceptives or hormone therapy, or who are pregnant. The dark patches usually occur on the cheeks, forehead, nose and chin. They may or may not resolve after discontinuing the contraceptives or hormone therapy or at the end of the pregnancy.

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4. Duncan KO, et al. Epithelial precancerous lesions. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2981344. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
5. Goldstein BG, et al. Melasma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan 13, 2010.
6. Nicolaidou E, et al. Origin, clinical presentation and diagnosis of facial hypermelanoses. Dermatologic Clinics. 2007;25:321.
7. Melanoma skin cancer. American Cancer Society. http://documents.cancer.org/170.00/170.00.pdf. Accessed Jan. 20, 2010.