Fade or hide melasma - how?

[Nicketynac]

I have had melasma since my first pregnancy. Just been on first proper sunny holiday since then and it is awful despite SPF 50 on face (a proper waterproof one, not my usual under makeup one). I usually have patches under my eyes which I hope look more like freckles, but it has extended to cover both cheeks and is a sort of grey-brown so not very freckle like.
Is there some sort of miracle product to help it fade?
Failing that, what is best for hiding it? I use a Collection concealer under my eyes for dark circles and Misscha BB cream instead of foundation. I have oily skin and don't like heavy foundations as I think they all make either my pores or wrinkles fine lines worse.
I already use Paula's Choice BHA (not on holiday as I was worried it would make my skin more sensitive to the sun, sigh, same with my beloved Azelaic Acid) and niacinamide from the Ordinary. I have a Korean snail cream thing which I have never really used - would it help?

I really rate Lancôme Visionaire serum and Olay's Luminous brightening cream. Both have really helped my melasma. Mine also looked grey, especially under make-up and really got me down. I keep my face completely out of the sun now and use Chanel's facial self-tanner for a bit of colour.

How quickly do you think they helped?

Tata Harper's Restorative eye cream has really helped mine, along with La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. I would say about three weeks of consistent use and I saw a difference.

To cover it, I like Nars creamy concealer applied in a bouncing motion with a damp beauty blender, then set with a translucent powder applied in the same way.

Tooth I have some Effaclar Duo that I used when my acne had flared up. Will check the expiry and give it a go.
missjoanie I will have to skip the Lancôme one for now as it's expensive but will see if I can get a sample at a counter. I'm glad to see the Olay one is on offer just now, good timing!
Need to re-read all the sun cream threads again, obviously did something wrong.

It was steady progress! I used (and still use) the serum day and night and the Olay after serum in the morning. I definitely saw an improvement after a month. They're the only two skin products that I keep repurchasing. I find the Collection illuminating concealer doesn't exacerbate the grey look and MAC Studio Fix powder foundation covers the marks completely while you're waiting for them to fade. Good luck!

I will try the illuminating concealer as well, not keen on powder foundations usually but might need to try that too.
After I had my first baby I tried a Clinique serum for dark patches and it did nothing, so it put me off trying anything new. I just kept going with SPF and makeup until it faded, and was very careful with my next pregnancy and it didn't get much worse.

Watching hopefully....my patches are Terrible 😓

I've noticed my patches are barely noticeable since using La Roche Posay cleansers and Effaclar Duo

Obagi nu derm or lasers I'm afraid. Nothing over the counter really works.

trucking No chance of affording either. Concealer it is then :(

m.youtube.com/watch?v=LSEsLLrgHsY
Watch this review. She recommends niacinamide and alpha arbutin together for the ordinary

Ooh thanks

I used a cc cream (colour correcting) under make up to reduce the difference in tone, sort of pat a thin layer over the area so it dries in a layer rather than rub it in.
Using factor 50 every single day even in winter definitely helped, and this is my 2nd summer since Ds was born and it's definitely reduced in tone now. It does take a while in my experience, sorry.

bear I wear SPF 50 in winter, and was wearing it on this holiday too. Maybe not waterproof or sweatproof enough for proper sunshine.
Which CC cream do you use? Do you use it instead of concealer?

I use just a cheapie one, bourgeois I think it is. Put a tiny bit on your finger tips and very gently pat it over the area, rather than using a brush or rubbing it- it's hard to explain but it dries in a layer. The colour correction works better than just concealer I find. I then use quite a matte foundation over the top, you have to apply quite carefully or you'll wipe off the colour corrector! I was quite self conscious about mine, especially in winter as over the summer it sort of made me look tanned unless people looked closely. It was only from reading this thread actually where I realised it has faded quite significantly this summer, the factor 50 definitely helps.

I heard niacinamide is good for this. No idea if it is true.
Niacinamide is in high quantities in some olay products which aren't expensive.

Look up tranexamic acid. Seriously. It's used in Asia as treatment for (brown not grey) melasma there as they understand it better.

Half a tablet, twice per day for 3 months with 1000mg vitamin c and a zinc based spf 50 sunscreen (I favour uvistat). This sorted mine out and mine was as. I had it across my cheeks, forehead and a moustache.

DO NOT USE OF YOU HAVE ANY HEART OR BLOOD CONDITIONS.

When I was reviewed by a nhs dermatologist they could not believe the effects as I showed them my 'before' pics.

Mine is now completely gone.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22329442/

Sali Hughes is really good on melisma as she has it herself, and with her contacts in the beauty/dermatologist world, I'd imagine if there was a solution she'd be on it...
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/jun/06/beauty-minimising-melasma-sali-hughes

*melasma
The comments under that article are also really informative.
More recently she's recommended this for covering it:
tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-maracuja-creaseless-waterproof-concealer

I have also previously used tranexamic acid tablets (I used Transino II) along with high dose vit C (and obvs v high UVA rated sunscreen; LRP Anthelios XL). It did work and very quickly too.

Not for the fainthearted though...you can only use them for a couple of months and my period reduced by about 75% even after 6 weeks . Very strong stuff and you need to be be extremely careful how you use it.

You don't need to get Transino - that's strong stuff. Just go to boots and buy tranexamic acid in there. Split one 500mg tablet in half and take one half am and one half pm. Much gentler and all you actually need.