You may have tried covering your dark spots with more makeup. But which do you choose — the foundation that matches the majority of your face or the darker color of the spots? Either way, you end up using a lot of makeup to camouflage your melasma.

Sometimes melasma will fade away, but it may take a long time for the patches to lighten. If melasma fades after the delivery of a baby, it can return with each future pregnancy. If you are taking birth control pills and then stop, the discoloration on your face may start to clear gradually.

There are treatments that can help lighten those dark patches. Talk to a dermatologist to see if the spots on your face are due to melasma and what treatment is right for you. If you need a list of dermatologists in your area, use the DermFinder.