Brief Answer: Melasma treatment Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your query and I have understood it. Dark patches on face are most commonly due to Melasma. I would suggest that she uses a broad spectrum sunscreen throughout the day. A sunscreen with minimum 30 SPF would be adequate. A good and effective sunscreen should have broad spectrum UV A coverage in addition to UV B coverage, and it needs to be applied in sufficient quantity every 2-3 hourly. It should be applied in the following quantity to have the desired protection: --3ml for face and neck(a little more than 1/2 teaspoon) A sunscreen marketed by johnsons & johnsons, 'NEUTROGENA DRY TOUCH ULTRASHEER SUNSCREEN' is a good choice and is available OTC. A cream containing one or more of the skin lightening agents e.g kojic acid, hydroquinone, glycolic acid, undecylenoyl phenylalanine, arbutin etc can be used once daily at night, to gradually fade away the dark parches. Regards

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Brief Answer: Melasma causes Detailed Answer: Hi. Pregnancy in females, intake of oral contraceptive pills/birth control pills, NSAIDs(pain killers) and Excessive sun exposure (more important cause in males because of there outdoor activities), use of mustard oil on scalp and face are well known causes of Melasma/dark patches on face. If any of these causes are identified they should be rectified. However, Most of times there is no known cause (Idiopathic). regards

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