Melasma treatment

[BoxOfCats]

Has anyone successfully treated melasma? I have quite a bit of pigmentation on my forehead, I have had IPL previously but it isn't moving the pigment and isn't really recommended for melasma either from what I understand.

I have been recommended a Cosmelan peel by one salon, while another recommended microneedling. Would love to hear of any experiences with either to remove it, or anything else that worked!

Following with interest

Stay with me for a long story with a good ending!

I had terrible melasma on forehead and cheekbones. People were always saying I had dirt on my face or asking if I had a black eye. To give you an idea of how bad it was at its worst- when I was maid of honour at a wedding the brides mum told me on the wedding day that she didn't know how I could live with my face like that.

I tried the £50 a tube Clinique brown spots corrector which did nothing. Bio oil etc did nothing. I went to a private dermo clinic and they said all they could do was this treatment that went on for months and caused many layers of skin to shed and you grow a new skin surface basically. It sounded brutal, they said it was painful and you couldn't have any sunlight on your face during the time. Plus costing a fortune for this torture so I declined.

The GREAT news is, my melasma is nearly invisible now because I used a quality factor 50 every single day from then on and it just faded and faded. The best brands I found are Piz Buin and Eucerin. About £18 for teeny bottles, very runny facial sunscreen that lasts ages and is fine under makeup. I bet my friends and family don't even remember I have melasma now! Obviously it's even more crucial in summer and on hols to apply the factor 50. Totally worked.

I used melasma treatment from dermatica which includes hydroquinone. Brilliant results but unfortunately, mine comes back every year in the summer even though I apply 8 hour spf50 diligently, top up frequently and avoid direct sunlight like I'm a vampire! Hydroquinone can only be used for a few months at a time and is prescription ony

Hydroquinone and tretinoin is the only thing ime that works. Good to try now in the winter as the skin is more sensitive to sunlight using it. Factor 50 every single day. Good luck.

This is progress after about 3 months of using Detmatica cream every other night, its slow but it does work

Mine used to get really bad in the summer, I had an appointment with a dermatologist and she told me that sunscreen wouldn't work and to use sunblock instead.
3 years on and multiple holidays in the sun and she's right, it hasn't come back at all. I also recommended this to a work colleague and she has had the same results. This is the one I use.

Just to add mine was really bad, to the point people asked me why I had dirt on my face. I use the sunblock stick on my forehead, nose and upper lip and then cover in regular sunscreen. I genuinely was amazed at how well this worked.

A friend of mine in her thirties has battled with Melasma for a long time and I’ve seen the distress it can cause her. In the past year she moved to using Monderma as my daughters and I also subscribe and she’s had good results. We don’t meet very often, but her skin looked noticeably clearer from when I last saw her. I believe hydroquinone along with anti inflammatory ingredients have helped her (plus daily high SPF), but these do need a prescription.

You need a prescription of tretinoin and hydroquinone. Dermatica do a monthly subscription. The % wasn't high enough for me so I saw a private dermatologist. Unfortunately you can't get rid of melasma, but you can manage it. I got mine to where it's barely noticeable, but it can come back even on a sunny winter day. I'm diligent with spf, over summer I wear a tinted fuka eri sun block as a base instead of makeup and reapply throughout the day, wear hats and always sit under an umbrella or with my back to the sun. It's so annoying but I've managed to keep it at bay

You could try a tretinoin prescription with Klira? I can't recommend them enough. I dint have melasma but have pigmentation from sun damage and it's clearing that

If you use hydroquinone 4% for 3-4 months and maintain it with tretinoin 0.025% and azelaic acid 10% it won't come back. Assuming you apply sunscreen in the morning. I've had good success with Monderma and have friends who've used Dermatica.

A few sessions of Fraxel laser by a cosmetic dermatologist improved my melasma dramatically. I saw a significant change after one session. It is expensive, though.

Thanks, I am not in the UK and it seems hydroquinone is prescription only where I live. Think I will make an appointment with a cosmetic dermatologist. I do wear SPF50 daily, the sun is really strong here though and it is summer so guess I will need to be vigilant!

Yes HQ is usually prescription in most countries. It goes up to 12% but 4% is more than enough. Higher concentration produces the same result, just faster. 4% is a good strength without the peeling that still fades it after a few months.

Op, what skin colour are you? Some skin colours are more likely to get melasma

And which country do you live in?

Definitely try switching from a sun cream to a sun block. They do ones that match your skin tone so they go on like foundation. Doing this has reduced mine by loads.