Melasma that returns after treatment can feel like a setback. This page explains why it happens and what helps keep it from coming back.
Melasma behaves like a chronic condition
Medical Xpress reports that melasma can be challenging to get rid of completely, and as a chronic condition, it can come back after treatment.
A return fits how the condition behaves. For background reading, see the MedlinePlus entry on melasma and the AAD's melasma overview.
Sun protection is the step you control
The AAD says dermatologists often recommend a sunscreen that contains zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or iron oxide for patients who have melasma.
It adds that sun protection can help fade melasma and prevent it from returning.
If a white cast tempts you to skip sunscreen, the AAD suggests trying a tinted sunscreen instead.
What to ask at your next visit
Ask your provider how to hold your results after treatment ends. Sun protection belongs in that plan, since the AAD says it can help prevent melasma from returning.
Once treatment ends
The answer changes once treatment ends. That is when upkeep starts, and sunscreen is the part of it that stays in your hands.