r/Melasmaskincare

Brown skin girlies!
I need help with melasma and PIH. What worked for you? I see results with hydroquinone but it comes back. I am using tazarotene 0.045 % for acne.
It feels like pretty much everything triggers pigmentation.
I’m skeptical of peels and lasers also for the same reason. I have this since 4-5 years and I stay indoors mostly and away from heat.

So I planned on doing some peels before summer but then I got pregnant. My melasma hasn’t necessarily gotten worse during pregnancy *yet* .. it pretty much looked like this already. I had taken a break from hydroquinone because it lightened my melasma but didn’t erase it. Jessners peels with other topical ingredients were working pretty well for me in managing it but I was doing the peels at home and felt nervous about that (but they did work pretty well) the downtime was just not great.

Anyway I was going to do another peel and then learned I was pregnant. Because it’s summer my melasma has gotten worse for sure. I’m currently using vitamin c serum and azelaic acid 15% as my main melasma combative products as well as the obvious SPF, but I’m wondering if anyone else has had success in at least lightening their melasma during pregnancy? Any procedures or beauty treatments that I can get done? I’m looking to do some low level fraxel once this baby’s out or picolaser. It’s just so bad right now and it’s hard to cover with make up. Any safe mandelic peels or something of the sort? Is my LED red light mask safe to use? Or maybe a green light one? Idk how I can get through 6 more months of this😓

I had 5 IPL sessions at a spa. Unfortunately, it depends who the aesthetician, I only saw an improvement one time, but I felt it was a waste of money. I previously used hydroquinone and it also made it worse.
I talked to my dermatologist and she recommended a medication without hydroquinone, but when I reviewed the prescription, it looks the same like the previous one I tried. I use eucerin and tretinoin 0.05, I haven’t seen any changes.
Do you think I should give it a try for the prescription again?

I have terrible melasma and have no idea on how to treat it at this point.
My current schedule looks like this:
Retinol 0,5% at night every other day
Niacinamide 10% twice a day
Azelaic acid suspension 10% twice a day

It came two years ago and worsened when I got pregnant. I discontinued breastfeeding about two months ago and started using the retinol but will need to stop soon as I will try for another baby.

I feel so upset with this huge mustache and all your advice is greatly appreciated ❤️

Edit: forgot to say I also use sunblock every day (mineral zinc).

Sigh. Here I was thinking maybe this $40 something serum would be my melasma fix, but now this is happening 😭

Have never experienced burning/tingling when applying until this morning when I first noticed this rash. No issues what so ever up until last night this spot around my mouth felt itchy, and this morning it appears to be a rash of sorts? I have another blotch like this under my eye, only on this side of my face.

My skin is a little on the sensitive side, and I’d consider my skin type as dry. I apply tret to my forehead and have had no issues there (I have however put the tret on pause and have not applied within the last week- I didn’t want to be using any actives while introducing a new product).

My skin barrier before starting the serum was in good order and moisturized, but part of me is wondering if maybe the alcohol in the product is just too much for my skin and drying the hell out of my face and that’s what this is? Should I try applying a light moisturizer before the Eucerin to see if this helps? Orrrrr could it be an allergic reaction and this is some form of dermatitis and continuing to use will make it 10x worse? 😅

If anyone else had a similar experience with the Eucerin serum not agreeing with their skin for any reason and have another alternative product they can recommend that did, PLEASE share!

I have used Eucerine and peels,laser recently and micro needling. I am so done. This is hormonal melasma and I don’t want to go through another painful procedure. What should I do?

I have a combination of PIE AND PIH but these “sun spots” don’t go away, I would assume Laser would work to get rid of it. I do apply sunscreen religiously. My mom also has these in almost the same spots. Just wondering if anyone else also experiences this and whether any treatment helped you.

I have a hydroquinone prescription from my dermatologist, but I can only use it for three months. My current skincare routine is Eucerin Thiamidol, Azelaic Acid 15%, and tinted mineral sunscreen in the morning, followed by Eucerin and Tretinoin at night.

I’m just so frustrated with this. 😩 Some days, depending on the lighting, my melasma looks even darker, and honestly, it’s embarrassing.

For those of you who have struggled with melasma, what treatments or products have actually worked for you? I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has had success maintaining their results after stopping hydroquinone.

I know melasma can be stubborn and tends to come back, but I’m really hoping to find something that makes a noticeable difference.

Family Background:My mother has melasma and has had it since her forties after a later in life fourth pregnancy and differing birth controls. Hers is just like many of the others I see on here and on Google searches. Small brown splotches on cheeks.

I am 32.5 years old and have not been on birth control in about eight years. I have never and will never be pregnant. Several years ago I had tubal ligation. No changes to my stress or hormone levels that I am aware of. I actually this summer began using sunscreen every time I went outside and setting a timer to reapply (this heatwave is a killer in Colorado).

Three weeks ago I woke up and noticed a large (juuuuust smaller than the size of my palm) solid brown patch directly in the middle of my forehead. Partner confirmed he had not noticed it prior. We had recently taken a bunch of photos the weekend before and did not see it in those by tested by taking a photo and could see it in new photo though my phone does auto retouching so it shows up super light. I miraculously got an appointment with a dermatologist next day (thank you cancellations!!) and she confirmed it was melasma and went down all the lists of possible triggers. She decided it must have been the heat.

Fast forward to yesterday (after three weeks of diligent tinted spf every day with zinc) and I took a silly photo to send to my partner and I notice my upper lip is black so I comment "woah shadow moustache" and laugh. But I have a sinking feeling. I go to the bathroom and it's not a shadow. My upper lip is now dark but not in the way I'm seeing most people here posting. It looks like I have black dust from mulch or soil on my upper lip. I have obviously been staring at my face more than normal these past few weeks. This is completely new. What the heck is happening. I feel completely out of control and like this is all a TON to be changing very quickly with just the trigger of heat?

Tldr a third of my face has changed color completely suddenly at this point with no hormonal changes or previous bouts of melasma. Should I get my thyroid checked or can someone reassure me that it does not actually take weeks to happen like Google says 😭