r/Melasmaskincare

Ignore my eye puffiness, I just woke up XD

I have had hypothyroidism diagnosed since 2017, though my melasma wasn’t bad until I started birth control in 2021, and now I have a full blown mask of it. I feel like a raccoon.

I live in a city that has HOT summers, and I love being outside but once it hits 70 degrees (f) I basically get speckled immediately.

I quit birth control 3 weeks ago and so far nothing on my face has changed. I’ve tried the hydro-whatever everyone uses to no affect.

I was really trying to get used to it and “own it” like someone with freckles might, but my Botox injector always says “oh your melasma is so dark” and it makes me so insecure, I never even bring it up.

Even just lightening it a bit would be nice.

I know it’s usually birth control hormones that affect t it, but I’m curious is anyone else gets it from thyroid hormones (lack there of) and how they approach it.

Hi! I’ve been using tret .025 for about 3 months now. My skin texture has improved and I feel more dewy overall.

HOWEVER.

What do I do about the melasma??

I’ve always been prone to it (particularly above my lips) but it’s never been this bad/all over face.

Here is my routine.

Tret every other night.

On off nights:

-Gentle cleanser (double cleanse)

-milky toner

-hyaluronic acid

-snail mucin

-moisturizer

Mornings:

-milky toner

-azelaic acid

-vitamin c

-moisturizer

-spf 50

-spf 50 tinted moisturizer

Do I ride it out? Is it a worse before better situation? Or is it the tret? Would lasers help?

SOS

About me & my melasma - it started about 10 years ago on my upper lip area. I attributed it to my low hormonal birth control. At the time I had sought advice from my gyn, dermatologist and primary. I never really got anywhere, the answers I always received were avoid the sun and it’s not that bad. I did try a few months of a prescription retinoid that had absolutely no changes for my skin. I just decided enjoying the sun was not for me. Avoiding the sun helped but it never fully went away. Covid hit and I decided it was a good time to quit my birth control to see if that would solve my problem. My melasma mustache 100% disappeared HOWEVER, it moved to the lower jowel/side of my mouth. It’s better than having a mustache but I hate it, I hate it so much. I’ve tried repairing my skin barrier, anua 10+ txa, good molecules discoloration serum, and ordinary azelaic acid in a very consistent skincare routine for the past 8 months and have not seen any significant changes. I will say that some days are better than others, and I don’t know if that has anything to do with my cycle and hormones or my routine. I also consistently wear a mineral SPF (naked Sundays, I really like it) and a sheer tinted foundation with SPF and titanium dioxide sunscreen. I have naturally olive skin tone, I don’t sunburn so that probably puts me at a Fitzpatrick four.

What have you guys tried that has worked for you? What is the next thing I should try? My personal feeling is that it has to be something internal that is causing my skin to do this. Is there some sort of vitamin deficiency or imbalance that someone else has found? I do know that I am vitamin D and iron deficient so those are two things I’m working on, but I’m curious if anyone has seen results from improving those? I feel like Reddit is the last place to save me as I have not had help from the doctors that I’ve sought out. I get that my melasma might not be a severe as a lot of people, but it’s something that still bothers me and I can see when I look in the mirror. In this photo it’s not one of the “bad” flare ups, it’s actually looking pretty mild today.

I recently wrote to a dermatologist inquiring whether my skin looked like vitiligo, melasma, or rosacea. She prescribed me hydroquinone; which I know is commonly used for melasma. Unfortunately, my insurance is poor quality and I do not always trust that the doctors have been thoughtful.

I’m just wondering if anyone has similar patterns or appearance to mine, and whether hydroquinone helped for them, or another treatment has helped you more?

(Edit to add: Fitzpatrick type 1/2, sunscreen every day, moisturizer at night - recently finished accutane. No other melasma or rosacea treatment started yet)

I’ve had two rounds of laser genesis last year. Presently on azelaic acid since late last year . Also had one round of pico laser but my face does seem to be progressing. I have done peels like 2/3 years prior to these . My goal is reduce hyperpigmentation and the overall texture