title: Melasma and assessment of the quality of life in Brazilian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melasma is a chronic, acquired hyperpigmentation disease on sun-exposed areas of the skin, which affects patients' quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact on the quality of life of women living in Florianópolis, Brazil, through questionnaire (MelasQol), and investigate the clinical aspects and risk factors for melasma, correlating them with the MelasQol scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed on 51 melasma patients cared for at the University Hospital of the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. The variables included were: age, gender, age of onset of melasma, Fitzpatrick phototype (I-VI), duration and family history of melasma, onset of melasma during pregnancy, use of hormonal contraceptive, thyroid disorder and distribution of melasma. The MelasQoL questionnaire, validated for Brazilian Portuguese (MelasQoL-BP), was applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 38.43±6.75 years. All patients were women. The most common Fitzpatrick skin phototypes were III (49.02%) and IV (33.33%). Melasma had a mean age of onset of 29.18±7.05 years and a mean duration of 9.25±6.18 years. The majority of patients did not have familial history of melasma (50.98%). Melasma onset was associated with pregnancy (45.10%). The MelasQoL-BP analysis revealed significant emotional impact on patients, such as feeling bothered (94.11%), frustrated and embarrassed (64.71%), and depressed (52.94%) about their skin appearance, as well as unattractive (78.43%). No social impact was observed (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Melasma has a strong emotional impact on quality of life, resulting especially from feelings about skin appearance.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Kida
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ikino
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Holthausen
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Priscilla Martins da
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tania Silvia
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Fröde
authors.affiliation: Florianópolis, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana Mazzochi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008548:Melanosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000473:pathology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
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