Melasma: Its impact on quality of life

Background: Melasma is the most common cause of facial melanoses in Indian population. It is mostly seen in females of reproductive age group. Since any kind of alteration in skin colour is considered to be abominable and melasma being a difficult-to-treat condition, it is understandable that it adversely affects the psychological and emotional well-being of the patients. Aim: To study the quality of life (QoL) in patients with melasma and its correlation with disease severity. Materials and Methods: A total of 104 melasma patients were enrolled. Severity of melasma was scored on the basis of Modified Melasma Area and Severity Index. QoL was assessed by Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. Results: The overall mean DLQI was 9.92 ± 7.01 with relatively higher value in females than males. Those between the age group 16 and 35 years had higher DLQI compared to the older age group. The DLQI significantly increased with the socio-economic status of the patients. Unmarried females had a significantly poorer QoL (13.64 ± 8.2) compared to married females (9.16 ± 7). The DLQI score increased with the severity of melasma, though the results were not statistically significant. Those with shorter duration of disease ( Conclusion: The results show that an asymptomatic, totally benign disease such as melasma has a moderate effect on the QoL of the patients. Moreover, the clinical severity cannot be considered as the sole criteria to decide the impact of melasma on patient’s QoL. Other factors such as socio-economic status and marital status additionally play a significant role. Assessment and treatment of psychological consequences must be considered as an indispensable part of management of melasma patients.