ABOUT ME

• I am not a dermatologist. I work at the University of Bath (UK) as an Associate Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship - the opinions expressed on this website are entirely mine.
• I am interested in how scientific information is communicated - I have published academic articles on how research findings are communicated to other scientists and the general public.

• I developed melasma after my second child was born. At first, I thought they were cute freckles, but it got worse. I was diagnosed by a dermatologist that I went to see for a mole
• I have olive skin, and I also have hypothyroidism - both have been associated with melasma

• It is incredibly upsetting when friends and family ask 'What happened to your face?" I became very self-conscious and started dreading summer and the sun. I came to realise this is common among many melasma patients
• On the bright side, melasma is an opportunity to look after my skin and make positive choices to protect it 

• Bearing in mind that melasma cannot be treated, I am happy with how I manage it at the moment (still not a big fan of summer!)
• I had to change my habits quite a lot. I wear SPF daily (30 in winter and 50+ the rest of the year) and a hat when it's sunny. I take a combination of tretinoin (a topical retinoid) and hydroquinone (a bleaching agent) prescribed by an online dermatology service

• Information. I have seen a lot of misinformation on melasma, and I am worried patients might delay treatment while trying other options with no scientific backing
• Awareness. Not a lot of people know about melasma. I hope learning about it might make them more understanding towards melasma patients. 
• Support. I have experienced first-hand the dread of summer and the insecurity melasma can cause. It helps to know you are not alone

I learnt more about melasma 

• I did not know I was bleaching my skin - urgh!
• I did not realise that melasma has been linked to anxiety - I am glad scientists have been looking into this!

I learnt more about scientific information from a patient perspective

• It is extremely difficult to find and read scientific papers -  even for someone like me who writes and reads scientific literature for a living!
• More plain language summaries are needed - and patient involvement is fundamental.
• It is important to keep an open mind. I did not expect to find studies linking pigmentation with cooking, but I did!

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