There are plenty of ways to treat melasma from topical creams / serums to laser treatments to chemical peels. Before you choose how to go about it, you must understand what caused it. The main triggers known is partly by sun, genetic predisposition, and hormonal changes (think about pregnancy, birth control pills).

There are many advantages or disadvantages for each of the treatments, I will focus on my particular choice. I highly recommend you discuss either with your esthetician or your Dermatologist the treatment that is most suitable for you.

When first diagnosed, I was prescribed a topical cream containing Hydroquinone, it is skin lightener used in many whitening creams and dark marks fade treatments. It reduces the production of melanin in your skin, meaning that is greatly used for fading hyper pigmentation, acne marks, sun spots, melasma, and other skin discoloration issues.

Despite Hydroquinone being prescribed to me, I decided not to use it after doing an evaluation of pros and cons (same for lasers and chemicals treatments too). Since it inhibits melanin production to help lighten skin, in the long term it can damage your pigment cells, it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun, it can cause redness, irritation, and contact dermatitis. All in all, not a risk I was willing to take.

My approach towards it is to prevent more damage and maintain the affected area as healthy as possible, it might have a mind of its own. Ingredients / products I have chosen are meant to either prevent or help reduce the dark spots. Keep in mind that during summer months my melasma might be more pronounced than during the winter time due to the nature of my skintone.

Here are my personal golden rules. I’m not an skincare expert but I do consider myself an expert when it comes to my own skin, only you can tell how your skin condition is on a daily basis and your esthetician if you visit one on regularly. The regimen should cover some of the basics:  a gentle but effective exfoliator, antioxidants combination and sunscreen.

Disclaimer: the products shown on the following photos are my own personal choices, this is not a PR post in any way. The products used are all strictly based in my own personal experience. It’s simply for the purpose of giving you examples of what you can look for.

Exfoliation

For exfoliation, AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids work on the surface) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acids work deeper) both types provide the benefit of: decreasing inflammation and appearance of large pores and surface wrinkles, remove dead skin cells, even out skin tone, unclog pores and improve skin texture. You can use an exfoliating toner or an exfoliating mask depending on your skin type and the acids you can tolerate. Consider Glycolic and Lactic acid the most known AHAs; Salicylic acid an example of BHA. There are other less know on acids that are helpful to treat melasma, as well as hundreds of products out there to choose from, finding the right one for your skin is can be a challenge. Golden rule: start slow (once or twice a week) and built it up, your skin is your compass. Always when using acids be aware that your skin might become photosensitive, you have to be religious with using daily SPF.

Hydration and Antioxidation

Since the skin affected by melasma is already damaged, you need to consider that it might require extra care. I find the area to have a tendency to be dry, to help skin to retain its moisture a Hyaluronic acid serum is a great option. Hyaluronic acid is naturally produced by our body, however as we age the production decreases; and I can use all the help I can! Aloe Vera is another great humectant which is why so popularly used in skincare. Others to mention a few are glycerin, seaweed, algaes, etc. The point I am trying to make is to add into your routine products that will help lock the moisture to the epidermis.

Prevention

SPF 30 minimum – 365 days a year non negotiable. Wearing a daily sunscreen is essential. Yes, it is a pain in the bum to find one that works for you but once you do, you will never be without it; you will apply it without even thinking. Make sure the sunscreen you choose does not irritate your skin or melasma as it might make it worse. I cannot emphasize enough how important SPF is, it will not only prevent more melasma or hyperpigmentation of appearing but also delaying the appearance of fine lines. Wear it even when you don’t think you will need it, I rather be safe than sorry!

Vitamin C serums – Vitamin C is is quite key for skin health as it helps in collagen synthesis which  keeps our skin firm and resilient, protecting it from wrinkling. Vitamin C may help prevent and treat ultraviolet induced sun damage. There are many forms of Vitamin C some stable some not, but that’s not the point of this post. I have found Vitamin C serums to help brighten the overall skin tone and prevent the melasma from getting any darker.

Extra boosters

Adding Serums specifically formulated to help treat melasma, hyperpigmentation or scars are certainly a great thing to do on top of your usual routine. It will help enhance the effect of your other products giving the extra oomph.  Look for ingredients like Rosehip oil, Sea Buckthorn oil, Tamanu oil, Prickly Pear Seed Oil Turmeric, Pomegranate, Green tea, Licorice and so many more.

Masks with brightening properties are also a fantastic addition to your skincare regimen for treating melasma or other skin concerns, they are simply fantastic extra boosters to feed your skin.

All of the products I use are helping tremendously to keep at bay the dark spots, my personal choice is to go for non aggressive treatments and keep an overall healthy looking skin.

Be happy with your own skin, care for it and be proud of your imperfections, after all is all about loving yourself as you are.

Xx

P.S. Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

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As a teen, I would regularly travel to the coast of Honduras for a weekend of fun with my school friends, we all enjoyed water skiing, swimming and of course “bake” ourselves out on the deck covered in coconut oil mixed with carrot juice for that extra gorgeous glow. Freshly hand extracted coconut oil, the fresher the better we thought. Oh my goodness, we must have been a sight, laying flat and turning every so minutes to get that perfect even tan. It was with pride that we would come back to school on Monday showing off our achieved tan over the weekend.

I grew up never hearing that you need to wear SPF everyday. Neither saw my mother or my grandmother or any other adult woman around me use it on a daily basis; they both avoided and still avoid the sun like a plague. Grandma would cross the street to be on the side of the shadow, despite always wearing a hat or an umbrella, she did that whenever she was running errands or babysitting my brother and I while we played outside.

Later on I got my Scuba Open Water Diver certification, oh the fun times and of course plenty of sun; by then I was wearing sun protection, you have to, otherwise you will burn so badly your skin in the Caribbean gorgeous scorching sun, it shines exactly 90 degrees on top of your head at 12 o’clock.

At some point I moved to Europe, first the UK and eventually Holland – if you live in the northern part of Europe you know that the sunshine is sparse and when it does shine, you practically drop anything you might be doing to be outside. As you can imagine, coming from the tropics missing the sunshine I found myself running outside to enjoy those precious rays of sun for a few minutes and feel the warmth on my skin after months of hiding under layers of clothing to avoid the cold. By then I was a daily sunscreen wearer, I was aware of the long term damage it can cause and the increase of developing skin cancer.

Yes, having a warm skin tone my skin reacts to the sun by producing melanin a natural skin reaction to protect you from the sun, and yes I do get a gorgeous caramel brown tan, however nowadays while I still have the urge to be out in the sun, I do take every possible precaution when out and exposed. 365 days a year, sunny or cloudy, hot or cold, dry or wet, all seasons SPF is a must in my skincare routine and other products that help to repair and prevent.

…..then one day sitting in my mother’s kitchen while visiting my family and enjoying breakfast all bare faced, my father asks “what are those brown spots on your nose and your cheeks? I had not seen them before”. A visit to the dermatologist and my face looked at under UV light the damage revealed itself. Not a pretty sight I must say. Diagnosis: Melasma! I don’t know exactly when they showed up, all I know is that ….unannounced and quietly my Melasma appeared.

I have accepted these brown spots as part of me, of who I am; I do not bother trying to hide them much, because when I look at them it brings back so many wonderful memories, living life and enjoying it. Hearing back my grandmother’s voice in my head is simply beautiful….I hope to see her soon and hear her telling me “See, you did not listen to me” and I will reply to her: I love you Grandma!

The post ….unannounced and quietly my Melasma appeared appeared first on Adriana Maradiaga.