Contraceptive pills and melasma

Contraceptive pills and melasma

Birth control is a form of freedom that should not be taken for granted. On the other hand, these pills are both a blessing and a curse. They not only help women to prevent pregnancy but also to regulate hormones to treat their skin. Besides affecting your complexion, birth control pills cause weight gain and mood swings, among others.

Contraceptive pills work by maintaining a steady level of hormones to pause fertility. The primary hormone that controls how the female body reacts to nature is estrogen. Besides inducing fertility in women, estrogen helps suppress negative changes that affect the skin such as enlarged pore, unwanted facial hair, and blemishes. Also, estrogen can trigger an increase in melanin. So, women using birth control pills may witness a boost in pigmentation in some areas of the body. This condition is known as melasma.

Ovaries produce both estrogen and testosterone. Testosterone is the magnificent hormone in males. The acnes and other skin conditions that affect women’s skin as a result of using birth control pills are triggered by testosterone.

Melasma

This is the most common skin condition caused by birth control pills. Melasma can be described as a skin condition that is characterised by patches and dark spots in the skin. The situation occurs as a result of increased melanin. Melanin is a natural compound that gives skin colour. This condition is rampant during pregnancy and usually resolves naturally after birth. However, in some women, the dark patches may las forever due to varying body hormones.

Why Does Contraceptives Cause Melasma?

Several things can trigger this skin condition. The most common cause is exposure to sun rays. Exposure to sun rays causes your body melanocytes to overproduce melanin, which results in blotchy, dark patches on the skin.

Another common cause of melasma is pregnancy. During pregnancy, there is a change in the types and levels of hormones produced in your body. There is an increase in the production of estrogen during pregnancy. Also, the hormone used in birth control can take centre charge on body progestin and estrogen levels.

Most contraceptives have a mix if Ethinyl estradiol (an estrogen) and a progestin. These hormones are capable of triggering a response on melasma prone skin. Unlike pregnancy, which only lasts for nine months, most women use birth control pills throughout their productive age. This means that is this problem is not approached. It might affect a woman throughout her productive period. Therefore, it is prudent to put various treatment methods into action.

How to prevent melasma

The most basic method to prevent melasma is to wear sunscreen. You may also decide to wear a big hat to avoid the scorching sun rays from reaching your skin. On the other hand, you might do something in your skincare routine. This may involve the use of gentle exfoliation with plant enzymes. Melasma may also be controlled by the use of contraceptives that contain low levels of estrogen.

Remedies of melasma

Besides skin exfoliation, which is aimed at increasing cell turnover, one can use moisturizing products that block or reverse the pigmentation process. Some products contain azelaic acid precursors and lactic acid, which boost cell renewal.

Increased melanin after the use of contraceptive pills can be traced to molecules known as tyrosinase inhibitors. This is a compound that blocks an enzyme that maintains the pigment melanin. When the enzyme is obstructed, and melanin can’t be maintained anymore, a condition known as melasma occurs.

In addition, one can use retinol to control melasma. Retinol is a compound derived from vitamin A. The compound has been proven to lift brown spots and inhibit the appearance of lines, large pores, and wrinkles on the skin.

Also, one can seek advice from professional personnel. Dermatologists have vast knowledge in treating and controlling melasma. One of the most common treatment methods used to treat melasma is microdermabrasion. This process is performed on a wet skin where a crystal-free and low suction system is used to exfoliate. Skin enthusiast physicians will explain different hyperpigmentation treatments you should consider.