Phototoxic Medication
It might seem strange to some that there are medications out there that make people sensitive to sunlight and other sources, but there are more types of phototoxic medication than you might think. For example, some types of antibiotics are phototoxic in nature. The same thing can be said about nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs, hypoglycemics, antipsychotics, diuretics, retinoids, and more. As stated, these medicines make you more vulnerable to sunlight and other harsh light sources, which can result in skin disorders such as melasma, as the melanocyte cells are affected.
Your doctor will inform you if the prescribed drugs are phototoxic in nature, and they’ll warn you accordingly. When taking these types of medications, it’s a good idea to protect yourself from the sun as much as possible and to use the night light function of your electronics, so you aren’t constantly exposed to blue light. As far as the side effects go, melasma is one of the least threatening skin disorders. After all, it doesn’t affect you outside of a few dark patches of skin. Your skin could potentially get something worse if you are not careful.
