FAQs

The skin on my face has developed brown blotches and I understand it can be caused by the Pill and the sun. I take Norimin 1. Is there anything I can do to make them go away?

Answer

These brown patches are called chloasma or melasma. They tend to appear on the skin of some women when they are exposed to the sun, either when they are pregnant or when they are taking a contraceptive pill, which has oestrogen in it - a Combined Pill.

Apart from the fact that some women find the appearance of these brown patches annoying, the good news is that they are completely harmless. Using sunscreen helps to reduce the brown marks, but this only works if you apply the sunscreen to ALL sun-exposed areas of the body (arms and legs) and not just to your face.

In a country like Australia with such high UV levels you probably need to cut down on your overall sun exposure as well and not just rely on sunscreen.

If you decided to stop the Pill completely and use a non-hormonal method of contraception, the marks could take about 12 months to fade completely - and any unexpected sun exposure over this time will make them darken again.

A progestogen-only contraceptive such as a minipill, injection (Depo Provera/Depo Ralovera) or an implant (Implanon) is an option. You still need to be extremely careful with sun exposure for the first 12 months or the marks will darken again. A facial peel, such as those done by a dermatologist may help.