Hello Mamas,
While pregnant, I developed melasma and have patiently waited for it to fade and disappear. I am tired of caking on makeup to camouflage this and now, 2 years later, I am looking to you for advice on what methods of removal have worked for you.
I am careful to avoid sun exposure and always wear sunscreen / have tried DDF Holistic Intensive Lightener / been prescribed Triluma, but have not tried due to sticker shock- am willing to purchase if it works.
I am not opposed to cosmetic treatments (peels, microdermabrasion, laser resurfacing, etc) but first want some advice on what has worked for others who have dealt with this.
Thank you in advance for your guidance and suggestions!
Let me know if you wouldn't mind what everyone suggests. I have Melasma to and before I used a very light shade of foundation (Fawn) now I use chestnut. Like you I am very self conscious about it and would love to have my porcelin complexion back. My name is A. Case and I live in Canyon Texas. Email ____@____.com
Thanks in advance!
A. Case
Hi K.,
Melasma is a hard condition to treat. It is very important that you realize that you can not "cure"/completely get rid of it. However, with sun avoidance and a prescription hydroquinone (either TriLuma or Lustra Ultra) it will definitely help to lighten the dark patches. These medicine are expensive and insurance will not cover them, but my patients (about 80%) respond well after a good 3 months of consistent usage. The most important thing is that after the dark patches fade, it is VERY important to use sunscreen or better yet wear a big hat, because if you get sun exposure the melasma can re-darken. I hope this helps.
I've heard that a vitamin deficiency (I think it's B12) can contribute to melasma. Vitamin C and Calcium have also been thought to help, so you might try taking vitamin supplements with these first. Taking a B complex vitamin can help boost your energy levels, too, which is nice when you have a 2 year old.
My friend had a photo facial done and her skin looks amazing and evened out the darkness.
Check out the Reverse line of Rodan + Fields. It has proven results with Melasma. It has totally changed my face and taken away the brown spots. It does have hydroquinone in it so that helps a ton. While I did not get full blown melasma while pregnant my brown sun spots got much darker. I have Rodan + Fields since October and in about six weeks there was a huge improvement. I am so comfortable now that I don't even wear foundation which is a big jump from where I was.
Have you had your hormones checked? I had it during pregnancy but it went away once my hormones straightened out.
I run a laser and Melasma is not treatable with it. You need to use the RX.
Bite the bullet and get the prescription. I used it after my first child and the brown spots were seriously almost gone within 3 weeks. But, be aware of the side effects. I have fairly sensitive skin. I had a slight burning sensation when applying the cream and after the first few days the burning sensation was pretty much all the time. Kinda like a bad sunburn. Then at about 1.5-2 weeks it started to peel. I looked terrible, but the new skin after peeling was almost clear from any brown spots. There was still a little so after about 1 month I did the treatment again, but only using the cream 1 every other day.
Good luck!
I had this too and used the Obagi face system and it is wonderful!
It is pricey at first and takes more time but the end results are fabulous!!
Let me know if you have any questions!
