I’m male with brown blotches on my face. Can men get melasma and is it treated differently?

Hi DR. I, I am a 34yo white male with melasma on my forehead and around my eyes and upper lip. I wear a zinc and titanium sunscreen every morning and will double up when in the sun and wear a hat. chemical sunscreens make it darker and heat for example if I BBQ. My question is do you treat melasma in men differently ? Is it then caused 100% by the sun ? I have been really careful about not irritating or letting my skin get dry as that darkens it as well. Your site has been very helpful. Thanks! TT.

It’s quite rare to see true melasma in men because it’s mostly a estrogen level driven process but I would never say never. J    Here are some things to think about because other things can look like melasma.  Please see your doctor!

For example, severe sun burns, or long term intense sun exposure (think tropics, high altitude,etc.) can look similar.   There are some medications that when taken make you more sun sensitive, causing a similar pattern.   These could have been in the past and please see your doctor!   Also, some other hormonal problems like Addison’s disease may cause irregular pigment as may some more rare skin diseases.  Product allergies may cause darkening.   I think you see where I’m going here.   Please don’t diagnose yourself over the web!! 

Good products for melasma

Hope this helps, Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
  • This site is not affiliated or financially tied to any product, treatment or device.
Ask Me Something
SkinTour Skincare
One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!