الفهرس 
Normal skin colorOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Melasma is a common acquired hypermelanotic disease developing especially in the sun-exposed areas of the face. The lesions appear often symmetrically on the forehead, malar areas and less frequently on the cheeks.(1) The disease mostly affects women, 10% of the patients are men.(2) Etiopathogenesis has not been completely understood. However, some factors have been blamed for pathogenesis such as genetic predisposition, exposure to ultrviolet rays, pregnancy, thyroid dysfunction, estrogen–progesterone treatment, ingestion of phototoxic and photo allergic drugs, cosmetics and stress.(3,4) Although melasma causes a very disturbing cosmetic problem, its treatment is difficult and complicated.(5) The studies conducted in last years showed that increased free oxygen radicals have role in the pathogenesis of many radicals and reactive oxygen species during their metabolic activities. Anti-oxidants have the preventive effect on production of free radicals which trigger melanin synthesis.