Any dermatologists?

[whoruntheworldgirls]

That can tell me what this is on my forehead? Happened on my Easter holiday to Gran Canaria, didn't apply suncream enough and got a bit burnt, only area it's happened and for the first time.

Sorry forgot the photo

Looks like melasma.

Sun damage.

Shoot, can i get rid of it? I've been a lot better with suncream since this happened, it's made me more vigilant.

Unfortunately it can't be cured but can be managed and lightened

The most important thing is sunscreen. You need to use at least SPF 30 everyday even indoors.

Ideally a course of chemical peels to exfoliate the damaged skin then a home skin care programme.

I would usually recommend a retinol/tretinoin plus a lightening agent such as hydroquinone or arbutin but you should be guided by a professional as some of these interact.

You can get some excellent results with medical grade skin care.

Hope this helps x

What Octopus above said 👍

it might not be Melasna though, which has a hormonal cause

It will be a life long battle. Wear a hat wherever you go outside. Also sunscreen is vital. Every day, whatever the weather and reapply at lunch time if you are serious about reducing the hyperpigmentation.

Not a dermatologist but I had a patch of this on my cheek (sun damage exacerbated by pregnancy hormones) and after a couple of years of wearing SPF 50 all year round and never walking in the sun without a hat (or at all if possible) it finally started to fade so it’s barely visible. I’m religious about sunscreen now! I also used vitamin C serum, which possibly helped a bit.

Can anyone recommend a nice facial suncream? I've been using aldi on holiday now which is good in that I'm not burned but it's thick and my skin looks and feels greasy, not something i want day in day out, plus it's bloody hard to wash off at the end of the day clearly a bonus when in the pool but not when i want to feel clean.

Thank you for all the helpful advice

La Roche Posay Anthelios fluid is quite good, although very runny so beware. I use the SPF 50+ everyday (as I use tretinoin), but I mix it with a bit of moisturiser to thicken it a bit and make it less drying on my skin. Goes on well under makeup, just makes my skin a bit shiny.

www.sunsense.co.uk/product/daily_face/

Glossier do a lovely light face sunscreen (plus it smells nice). It's pricey but lasts a surprisingly long time given the size of the tube.

I use the beauty pie one and didn't realise how much I liked it until I tried a different one that has made me break out

My favourite sunscreens are

Heliocare fluid SPF 50
Obagi tint SPF 50
Garnier ambre solei super UV anti dark spots spf50

I use:
Cetaphil SPF 50 (surprisingly doesn't leave any whiteness)
La Roche possay 50+
Biotherm 50 yellow tube
Heliocare with tint 50 (not a massive fan)
Shiseido 50 plus body and face
I realise that's a lot but everytime I go to the airport I pick up some. And I mix it up.

Thank you I'll take a look at all of these

My favourite budget one is Altruist Face Fluid Spf 50

Mid range
Beauty pie Spf with primer

Higher end
Dr Sam Tinted Spf
Ultra Violette face fluid

It's hard to fade the sun damage you have sadly but worth starting with Dermatica who will give you a formula

Another vote for altruist face fluid. I actually prefer it to more expensive ones.

Take a look on YouTube at some dermatologists on fading dun damage. Dr Sam bunting and Dr dray are good channels.

I use heliocare fluid cream factor 50.

Always use a vitamin C serum daily and a retinol serum at night. The Inky List do both and they’re reasonably priced on Amazon.

A regular skin needling session at a good clinic is great for keeping sun damage at bay too.