Is Melasma (Pregnancy Mask) Reversible?

Is Melasma (Chloasma) a Permanent Condition

Is Melasma Pregnancy Mask Permanent or ReversibleOne of the common pregnancy symptoms woman encounter during their pregnancy is the appearance of Melasma also known as pregnancy mask. The main worry is whether the Melasma a permanent condition or reversible.

The Chloasma (pregnancy mask) is not painful but it is a very troubling side effect because in most cases Melasma tends to appear over the face – Forehead, nose, cheeks, jaw line, upper lips and cheek bones. The dark spotty patches are usually symmetric on both sides of the face, and have a light to dark brown shade to them.

Why Does Melasma Develop During Pregnancy

The main reason Melasma is known as a pregnancy mask is because the hormonal changes trigger the melanocytes cells to produce excessive melanin (brown color). If the pregnancy is during a sunny summer season then the ultra-violet UV-a and UV-B light rays cause the melanin production to go into overload!

But do not mix Melasma with brown spots, those might seem the same thing but they are not.

See the short video below which explains the difference.


Is Melasma a Permanent Skin Discoloration

The good news is that most of pregnancy Melasma are not permanent. The hyper-pigmentation over the skin will eventually fade away for most pregnant women, a few month after the baby is born and the hormones decrease back to their regular level. For those noticing the Melasma skin discoloration while not pregnant (like when using oral contraceptives for long periods of time) the discoloration might be more difficult to fade away, unless the oral contraceptives are reduced, changed or discontinued.

How to Reduce Melasma Discoloration

Your main concern if you notice Melasma over your face while pregnant, is how to reduce the hyper-pigmentation. Since the Melasma is a dysfunction of the melanocytes (which produce brown melanin) when exposed to sunlight. Your main concern is how to avoid sun light reaching your discolored skin and making the pregnancy mask darker than it already is!

If you want to see our recommendation for you! Click the video below.. Watch the first 33 seconds..


Not All Suncreens Were Born Equal

There is a lot of miss understanding about sunscreen lotions. The main misconception is that any cream with SPF above 15 will be enough to protect the skin from the sun harmful rays. But the truth is far from that.. SPF 15+ sun protective lotions protect only from the short UV-B sun rays. The harmful, cancerous UV-A rays contribute a great deal of damage to the Melasma discoloration.

Applying only SPF creams will not protect your skin, and may cause the Melasma to become both darker and permanent.

How To Beat Melasma

You need to help the body make the Melasma reversible, for that there is a list of thing you need to do. You must apply twice a day (morning and noon) a double protection sun block cream (UVA + UVB). The best creams are not only those with chemical protection, but those with mineral pigment sunscreening.

If you are not protected yet, get high performance sun block creams.

  • Wear wide trim hats.
  • Walk in the shade, avoid direct sun light, especially in mid day.
  • Consult a dermatologist before carrying on with oral contraceptives.
  • Consult your doctor for OTC bleaching and prescription bleaching agents too (such as hydroquinone)
  • Use non crystal microdermabrasion machines to preform epidermis peeling.
  • laser/IPL treatments can resolve Melasma, by removing the upper skin layer.


Most woman do not have any clue whether they will develop a pregnancy mask during their pregnancy. Darker pigmented skin discoloration is more difficult to reverse back to normal. Even though most Melasma skin discoloration which begins while pregnant will not be permanent, the best way to assist Melasma reversibility is to apply sun screens and sun blocks, and avoid the sun. 

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