Medical Dermatology
Pigmentation & Melasma in Islamabad
Melasma, dark spots, uneven tone
In plain terms
Understanding pigmentation & melasma
What it is
Pigmentation is pigment sitting where you do not want it, and it comes in three main forms that look alike. Melasma is a hormonal pattern across the cheeks, forehead and upper lip. Sun damage is scattered spots where light falls hardest. Post inflammatory marks are what a spot, burn or scratch leaves behind.
Why it happens
Sunlight drives all three, including through a window and on a cloudy day. Melasma adds pregnancy, the contraceptive pill and thyroid problems on top of that. Post inflammatory marks follow anything that inflamed the skin, and they are both more common and more stubborn in brown skin.
What you might notice
Soft edged brown or grey brown patches in melasma, sharper small spots in sun damage, and marks that trace the exact outline of an old spot in post inflammatory pigmentation. All of them darken through summer, and all of them look worse beside untreated skin.
How it is treated
The diagnosis comes first, because the treatments genuinely differ. Prescription lightening agents, the right peel at the right strength, and in selected cases laser, though laser aimed at the wrong kind of pigmentation makes it darker. Daily sunscreen is not an add on. It is the part that decides whether any of the rest holds.
When to get it seen
Before you try a fourth cream. Many skin lightening products sold here contain steroids or mercury, and they leave skin that is harder to treat than when you started. Bring what you have been using with you, whatever it is, so she can see it.
What it involves
Pigmentation & Melasma at her clinic
How long it takes. 8–16 weeks, gradual.
Book appointmentQuestions about pigmentation & melasma
How long before pigmentation & melasma shows a result?
8–16 weeks, gradual. Skin is slow, and anyone quoting you a faster number is selling something.
Who will actually be treating me?
Associate Professor Dr. Lubna Rani Faysal. MBBS (Gold Medalist), FCPS (Dermatology), MHPE, 13 years in dermatology, and Associate Professor of Dermatology, Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi.
Do I need to be seen in clinic, or is video enough?
Send a description and a clear photograph on WhatsApp and she will tell you which. Anything needing close examination or a procedure has to be in clinic, tuesday – saturday, 4:00 – 7:00 pm at F8 Markaz, Islamabad.
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Book your pigmentation & melasma consultation
Tuesday – Saturday, 4:00 – 7:00 PM at F8 Markaz, Islamabad. Or ask first on WhatsApp at +92 370 549 7242.
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