Pigmentation and Melasma Treatment in Dubai
Pigmentation is extra melanin where you do not want it: melasma in symmetrical patches on the cheeks, forehead and upper lip; sun spots from years of exposure; and the brown marks acne or a rash leave behind. Each has a different cause and a different treatment, and all of them come back without sun protection. At Smart Care Polyclinic in Deira, a specialist dermatologist identifies which you have before recommending anything.
For: melasma, sun spots, marks left by acne or a rash
Takes: a 20-30 minute consultation, with a skin lamp where needed
Price: consultation AED 125
What it is
Melasma is the pigmentation people most often ask about, and the hardest to treat. It appears as symmetrical brown or grey-brown patches, commonest in women and in darker skin, and is driven by ultraviolet and visible light, hormones — pregnancy and the pill in particular — and family history.1 Reported prevalence ranges from 1% to 50% depending on the population studied, and it is very common in the Gulf.1
Sun spots and post-inflammatory marks are simpler. Sun spots are flat brown patches on sun-exposed skin that accumulate with age. Post-inflammatory pigmentation is the mark left after acne, eczema or an injury, and it fades on its own over months if the skin is protected and the cause is controlled.
Treatment for melasma starts with strict sun protection and topical lightening agents. The established treatments are hydroquinone, tretinoin and combination creams, alongside a broad-spectrum, ideally tinted, sunscreen worn every day; oral and procedural options exist for melasma that does not respond.1 Procedures such as peels and lasers can help but can also worsen melasma in darker skin, which is why the dermatologist's assessment comes before any device.
Why sunscreen is the treatment, not the afterthought
Every form of pigmentation is made worse by light, and melasma by visible light as well as UV. That means a high-factor broad-spectrum sunscreen every day, reapplied, plus a hat and shade in the middle of the day, and for melasma a tinted sunscreen containing iron oxides. Without that, any treatment is undone within weeks.
What to expect
Improvement takes months, and melasma tends to return. Most plans run twelve weeks before being judged, with maintenance afterwards. Over-the-counter and online lightening creams often contain unlisted strong steroids or mercury, and the dermatologist sees the damage they cause; anything you are using is worth bringing to the appointment.
The consultation, and what follows from it
Dermatology consultation
Assessment, examination and a plan with every cost stated before anything further is done.
AED 125
Bookwith a brightening booster, where the dermatologist agrees
skin-quality treatment, after assessment
Questions patients ask
It can be lightened substantially and kept controlled, but it tends to come back with sun and hormonal change. Honest treatment is a routine, not a one-off procedure.
For sun spots, often yes. For melasma, lasers can help in selected cases but can also make it worse, particularly in darker skin, so the dermatologist assesses first and does not start with a device.
Brown marks left by acne usually fade over three to twelve months once the acne is controlled and the skin is protected from the sun. Topical treatments and gentle procedures can speed that up.
This guide is general information about a condition, not a diagnosis. Skin conditions overlap, and what looks like one thing is often another; the dermatologist's examination is what decides your treatment.
References
- Ogbechie-Godec OA, Elbuluk N. Melasma: an Up-to-Date Comprehensive Review. Dermatology and Therapy. 2017;7(3):305-318. PMID 28726212. doi:10.1007/s13555-017-0194-1Melasma is driven by light exposure, hormones and family history, with reported prevalence from 1% to 50% by population; hydroquinone, tretinoin, corticosteroids and triple-combination creams are the established topical treatments.
Sources are listed for the specific statements they support. They are published research and guidance, not a substitute for a consultation — what applies to you is decided by a doctor who has assessed you.