SAY ni DOK | Ano ang melasma, ang sanhi nito, at paano ito nagagamot
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 It's a hot season. Be careful with melasma and freckles. It's prone to heat.
00:10 It can be found on the face and other parts of the body. That's why we should know about it in the morning.
00:19 And before we talk about melasma, we'll talk to Dr. MJ Torres, an aesthetics doctor, to give us a free telemet about melasma.
00:28 Dr. MJ, welcome back to Rise and Shine Philippines. This is Diana and Noel.
00:33 Hi Doc, good morning.
00:35 Good morning to all of you. I'm really happy to be here again.
00:41 Doc, my first question is, what is melasma? And where does it usually come from? Is it only on the face?
00:52 Melasma is usually on the face. It's the exposed area.
00:59 If we don't cover our face, it usually comes early in the morning.
01:04 Melasma is called pekas in Tagalog.
01:09 Freckles can also be considered as melasma. But in the Philippines, it grows and becomes bigger.
01:25 Or it spreads and forms a map.
01:29 It's caused by constant sun exposure. We're in a tropical country, especially in the summer.
01:43 So constant sun exposure is a possible cause of melasma.
01:49 But who are the most at-risk for melasma, Doc MJ?
01:53 We Filipinos have a lot of pigmentation or melanin pigments.
02:02 So when we have constant sun exposure, we tend to get melasma faster.
02:10 But the more white skinned people are more at risk. Because melasma is more likely to trigger their pigmentation.
02:24 If you have a lot of freckles, they are more protected.
02:30 Even without sunblock, melasma won't develop faster.
02:36 So contraceptive pills are also like that.
02:42 They can trigger melanin pigments because they drink progesterone or estrogen.
02:53 This is another factor that can trigger pigmentation or melanin pigments.
02:59 Not all diseases cause pigmentation.
03:09 There are also cosmetic or peeling solutions.
03:15 If we want to get white skin, if we apply too much in the morning and there's no sunblock,
03:25 it will also cause pigmentation because we remove the protection of our skin through chemical peeling.
03:34 So we expose the sensitive layer of our skin that will cause melasma.
03:43 Wow, Diana. This is really something.
03:45 We have beauty products that peel our skin.
03:51 So this is also one of the reasons why melasma can trigger pigmentation.
03:57 And another question, are freckles prone to this?
04:03 Yes, definitely. Because when we have freckles, our estrogen and progesterone secretes.
04:12 So if that happens, we are prone to melasma.
04:16 Is melasma or freckles cancerous? Is this a sign of cancer?
04:23 Okay. Pigmentation is not a cancer.
04:29 But when we expose it to the sun, because we absorb ultraviolet rays,
04:36 that is what triggers the formation of abnormal skin cells.
04:42 So those abnormal skin cells become very actively multiplying.
04:47 That is what we call cancer.
04:52 So it's not that common among Filipinos, but I'm not saying we won't get cancer.
05:00 Well, first of all, if we have fair skin,
05:05 we are more prone to absorb ultraviolet rays that can cause cancer.
05:11 But there are many cases of cancer in countries where the skin type is very fair.
05:20 We call it skin type 1.
05:23 We want to be fair skinned, right? Like Caucasians.
05:31 But the truth is, Caucasian skin does not suit tropical countries
05:37 because they cannot withstand the heat of the sun, which can cause cancer.
05:45 Is melasma permanent?
05:49 What about discoloration and patches on our skin?
05:55 You know, it's very challenging for us doctors to treat melasma.
06:02 We can lighten it with laser or other solutions.
06:11 The peeling solutions we use are good if the product is right.
06:18 We also use sunblocks while peeling.
06:27 We can lighten the skin with some treatments,
06:34 but we cannot remove it because it's full skin thickness that is the problem.
06:42 So while there are still no melasma, we should avoid it.
06:48 Okay. So if you see a small patch on your face,
06:52 should you get it checked immediately? Is there a possibility that it will spread?
06:59 Yes, the fact that you have a small patch means that you are prone to melasma.
07:07 If you don't have time or if there are no available doctors,
07:16 we should apply sunblock every morning before going out.
07:25 At least, with sunblock, melasma will not spread.
07:33 Yes, it spreads because it's in tropical countries,
07:39 but it won't spread if we don't let our skin.
07:45 Doc, you mentioned sunblock and skin peeling,
07:50 and you said that you will lighten it,
07:52 but is there another way or medicine that can remove melasma or freckles from our face?
08:02 Okay. In our clinic, we laser our patients.
08:09 We also have skin mid-peel.
08:17 There is also sunblock that we drink.
08:21 Really?
08:22 Yes, sunblock that we drink.
08:24 Oral sunblock?
08:25 Yes, oral sunblock that we drink for prone to melasma.
08:31 Although, of course, if we can use sunblock,
08:37 I recommend sunblock with titanium dioxide.
08:42 It's like wearing clothes because it's a physical sunblock.
08:51 People who ask about it think that the higher the SPF, the better.
08:58 My most recommended SPF for outdoor is 50 and above.
09:05 But let's not reach SPF 100 because it can be irritating to the skin.
09:15 And then, constant reapplication.
09:17 For example, your job is in the fieldwork,
09:23 so you're always out and about,
09:26 you can't avoid buying a new shirt or wearing a hat.
09:31 Then, we reapply sunblock after 2 or 3 hours,
09:37 especially if we sweat a lot.
09:42 Oh my, I need that.
09:45 I'm always out and about, I need sunblock.
09:48 Anyway, thank you Doc MJ for joining us this morning.
09:53 Again, thank you Doc and stay safe.
09:55 Thanks Doc MJ.