What is hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation simply means patches of skin that are darker than the surrounding area because the skin has produced extra melanin. Common types include sun spots (from UV exposure), post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH (dark marks left after acne, injury or irritation), and melasma. Each has different triggers and responds to different treatments.
What is melasma, specifically?
Melasma is a chronic form of hyperpigmentation that typically appears as larger, symmetrical brown or grey-brown patches — often on the cheeks, forehead, upper lip and bridge of the nose. It's strongly linked to hormones (pregnancy, the contraceptive pill) and is highly sensitive to UV, heat and even visible light. Crucially, melasma is managed rather than cured, and it can flare and recur.
How can you tell them apart?
A few clues help, though only a professional assessment is definitive:
- Pattern: melasma is usually symmetrical and patchy across larger areas; sun spots are smaller and more defined; PIH appears exactly where a previous spot or injury was.
- Triggers: melasma flares with hormones and heat; sun spots accumulate with years of UV;
- PIH follows acne or irritation. Behaviour: melasma is stubborn and recurrent; sun spots and PIH are often more straightforward to fade. Dermatologists may use a Wood's lamp (a special light) to judge how deep the pigment sits, which guides treatment.
Why does the difference matter for treatment?
Because the same treatment can help one and worsen another. Aggressive lasers or heat-generating treatments, for example, can aggravate melasma — particularly on darker skin tones — even while they help sun spots. That's why melasma treatment leans on gentle, gradual methods and strict sun protection, whereas isolated sun spots may respond well to more targeted approaches. Getting the diagnosis right first is the whole game.
What helps each one?
Treatment is always personalised, but in general: sun spots and PIH may respond to medical-grade chemical peels, targeted laser and a good topical routine; melasma needs a conservative, layered plan — sun protection, topical pigment-control, careful in-clinic treatments — focused on control rather than a one-time fix. Our pigmentation and melasma treatment page explains the options, and a dermatology appointment confirms which you have. Individual results vary.