Gordon Ramsay’s Wife Tana Reveals Melasma After Sun Exposure—What Is This Skin Condition?

Popular chef Gordon Ramsey’s wife, Tana, has revealed she has melasma after spending too much time in the sun. In a recent interview, the 51-year-old shared that she has the common yet seldom mentioned skin condition. “Gordon and I used to bake,” she told Times in an interview. “Now I have melasma.” The British broadcaster and author said she got melasma, characterised by brown or blue-grey patches or freckle-like spots, and is now vigilant in the sun following the diagnosis. However, the diagnosis comes after Gordon revealed a skin cancer diagnosis from repeated sun exposure and underwent surgery as a result last year. Tana said she and her husband regularly liked to sunbathe, but this has changed after her diagnosis and Gordon's operation.

What is melasma?

Melasma is characterized by patches or freckle-like spots on the skin, which can sometimes become red or inflamed. It is a common skin disorder that can be triggered by sun exposure or tanning beds. Loosely translated, the word means “black spot”, which makes your skin have light brown, dark brown, or blue-grey patches. They can appear as flat patches or freckle-like spots. Commonly affected areas include your face, including the cheeks, upper lip, and forehead, as well as the forearms. Melasma, also known as the “mask of pregnancy,” as it frequently affects pregnant women, typically darkens and lightens over time, often getting worse in the summer and better in the winter.

How common is melasma?

Melasma is extremely common, especially among pregnant women, with 15 to 50 per cent of pregnant women affected. According to experts, around 1.5 to 33 per cent of the population gets melasma, and it happens more often during a woman’s reproductive years, and rarely happens during puberty. It usually starts between 20 and 40 years of age.

What happens in melasma?

Your skin is made up of three layers. The outer layer is the epidermis, the middle is the dermis, and the deepest layer is the subcutis. It’s an organ – the largest organ – and it makes up about one-seventh of your body weight. Your skin becomes your barricade, which protects your bones, muscles, organs, and everything else from the cold, from germs, sunshine, moisture, toxic substances, injury, and more. The epidermis on the skin contains cells called melanocytes that store and produce a dark pigment known as melanin. In response to light, heat, or ultraviolet radiation or by hormonal stimulation, the melanocytes produce more melanin, and that’s why your skin darkens. Even though melasma is not cancerous, it is a typically chronic disorder. This means that it is long-lasting. Some people have melasma for years or their entire lives, while others have had it for just a short time, such as during pregnancy.

What causes melasma?

There are two main causes of melasma: radiation, whether ultraviolet, visible light, or infrared light; and hormones. Other possible causes include:

• Antiseizure medications that can cause it
• Contraceptive therapy or birth control pills that contain estrogen and progestin
• Estrogen, a synthetic form of the hormone estrogen, is used in treatments for prostate cancer
• Genetics with more than 33 per cent getting it
• Hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid
• LED Screens from your television, cell phones, or computer
• Pregnancy
• Hormones like estrogen and progesterone
• Makeup that leads to a phototoxic reaction
• Skin care products
• Scented soaps
• Tanning beds