Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1489006
New member benefit! Get the ASCP SkinPro app at ascpskincare.com/skinpro 29 SKIN PHYSIOLOGY More than Meets the Eye Preventing and addressing melasma by Benjamin Knight Fuchs, RPh MELASMA, FROM THE GREEK TERM melas meaning "black," is one of the more common and stressful signs of aging and unhealthy skin. It a ects mostly women in their 40s and 50s, particularly of Asian and Hispanic origin. And due to its prevalence, it has a large market share in the skin care industry. According toa Zion Market Research study,the globalpigmentation disorder treatment market was worth$6 billionin 2021 and is expected to reach $8.9 billionby 2028. 1 Technically de ned as a hyperpigmentation disease, perhaps the most important and counterintuitive aspect of melasma is that it is, surprisingly, not actually a skin problem. While it typically shows up as irregular, light to dark brown, gray, blue, or black spots and lesions on the face, neck, and upper chest, the causes are underneath the surface, inside the body. HOW MELASMA FORMS The two main players in the formation of pigment are melanocytes and melanin. Melanocytes are the cells that produce pigmentation, problematic or otherwise. Although most prominently located in the skin, these pigment cells are also found in the inner ear, heart, brain, and elsewhere inside the body. Melanocytes come in various forms, but all of them can produce the skin pigment "melanin." There are ve melanins, each derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Melanin's role in the skin and internal milieu of the body is to mop up excess energy and free radicals from UV radiation