A Review of the Optimal Effects of Sunscreen Usage in Women Residing in Tropical Climate Regions for Melasma Prevention: Insights from Literature Analysis

Abstract

Melasma is a hyperpigmented patch that is generally found on the face, especially on the cheeks, chin, upper lip, and can extend to the neck. The color of hyperpigmentation in melasma varies, generally light brown to black with an irregular shape. Melasma is often found in countries with tropical climates with skin types III-V. This happens because countries with these climates are exposed to more sunlight. To reduce excessive UV exposure to the skin, you can use sunscreen. Optimal use of sunscreen must also be considered in order to reduce the incidence of melasma. This literature review uses four databases (Google scholar, PUBMED, NCBI and PERDOSKI) using the relevant keywords namely "melasma" and "sunscreen" to find the source of articles published in 2010 to 2022. The search results get 142 articles. in Indonesian and English. After selecting based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 relevant articles were obtained which will be discussed in this literature review. In this literature review, the results show that there is a significant relationship between optimal use of sunscreen for women in countries with tropical climates, especially Asia, and the incidence of melasma. Melasma occurs mostly in women with Fitzpatrick III-V skin types and is susceptible to age 25-60 years. Patients with melasma who used sunscreen optimally by applying it every 2 hours showed a decrease in the degree of severity of melasma compared to those who did not repeat the use of sunscreen.