Clare Simmons* first noticed a few dark patches on her cheeks during her honeymoon in Italy. ?It was like I had dirt on my face that I couldn?t clean off,? she says. A few years later, when she was 30 weeks pregnant with her son, the patches darkened and new ones started to appear on her forehead. ?I have a map of Australia on my forehead and the Maldives islands on my cheeks,? she says with a laugh.
The marks were prominent enough that Simmons made a point to cover them up. ?I would feel self-conscious if I went out without makeup, because I think it would be hard for people not to stare,? she says. She made an appointment with the dermatologist, who confirmed that she melasma?also known as the mask of pregnancy.
What is melasma"
Melasma is a skin condition that causes dark spots on the face, but the exact cause isn?t known. One theory is that the melanocytes (the cells that produce skin colour in your body) start producing too much colour. But what stimulates the cells to go into overdrive" Any changes in your hormones, like taking birth control or being pregnant, can trigger melasma, explains Elin Raymond, an OB/GYN in Toronto. Sun exposure is another major risk factor for the skin condition. ?UV rays can trigger the onset of melasma and worsen it in someone who already has it,? explains Allison Sutton, a dermatologist in Vancouver.  
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