janel600

I feel your pain! There are a lot of things out there that can help. If you have the money you can always look into laser facials combined with topical creams that lighten deep under the derma layers. Keep in mind, we are always at risk of the pigmentation coming back, but if you keep up with the regime that works for you and sunscreen you will be good.

Look up Laser facials under:
Photofacial
Laser rejuvenation
Fraxel <--This is new and is about $1000 per treatment. (Typically 5 treatments are needed)

Hang in there! There ARE ways to treat this.

janel600

I feel your pain! There are a lot of things out there that can help. If you have the money you can always look into laser facials combined with topical creams that lighten deep under the derma layers. Keep in mind, we are always at risk of the pigmentation coming back, but if you keep up with the regime that works for you and sunscreen you will be good.

Look up Laser facials under:
Photofacial
Laser rejuvenation
Fraxel <--This is new and is about $1000 per treatment. (Typically 5 treatments are needed)

Hang in there! There ARE ways to treat this.

tans

Hi
I am in the same boat as you are. I too am 37 years old and have had melasma for 16months induced by a laser procedure. Although there is no cure for melasma it can be treated . It depends if your melasma is epidermal or dermal. Topical treatments will not work on dermal melasma. I am due to see my dermatologist in FEB. i will let you know what she suggests. Laser therapy is contraindicated in the treatment of melasma. So be careful. I too cry everyday. Just know that you are not alone there are millions of women who suffer from this. In the US there are 6million alone. I have tried grapefruit seed extract, msm, grape seed pills, nothing of these internal remedies worked for me. I am currently using obagi , but I think my melasma must be dermal as it too does not seem to work.Although I know that melasma needs to be treated from the inside I just have not found anything that works. There is hope two Australian scientists have found a cure for individuals who are allergic to the sun. They have discovered a drug that is able to switch on melanocytes. Well if they know how to switch them on maybe they can work out a way to switch them off internally.

LYDIASELLERS

is melasma deadly?

__________________
when in doubt give

gbjbinternetholdings

Your melasma might be due to hormonal imblances. Please talk to an endocrinologist or to your gynecologist. There are treatmens. They take time, however, read the other thread by me.
Try not to worry so much as this causes undue stress on the the bodies systems. Try to relax. There is help out there. It is unfortunate because many doctors do not take the condition seriously. Get a second , third opinion.

As for makeup try to find products that are paramedical makeup
or camouflage makeup.

Best wishes.

Cleo

I know how you feel. I had melasma too. It drove me crazy.I was so obsessed with it and consequently stressed by it! I had always received compliment for my skin and then out of nowhere, bam..... I had two large brown patches on my cheeks( sun exposure). I did manage to get rid of it though. I used meladerm for three months and that kick-started the clearing up and I would exfoliate my skin like a madwoman. How long did you use meladerm for? Tri-luma was really harsh on my skin. I can't tolerate HQ in general. Azelaic acid is better for the sensitive types. But, no matter which way you look at it, it takes atleast six months.

In addition to LNL's suggestions, some melasma sufferers have successfully treated their melasma with grapefruit seed extract and others have used grapeseed extract.

But like Tans said, if its dermal melasma it will be difficult to get rid of but NOT impossible. Did your derm take a look at your skin with a woods lamp?

klouisiana

If you are having problems with melasma and are not pregnant and are wearing sunscreen the first thing I would look into is are you on birth control?? The hormones in birth control will cause melasma. The melasma is due to hormone imbalances. Perhaps you are using an estrogen cream?? Anything with those hormones will definitely make ur melasma worse!

someidiot

becareful with these...soemtimes these treatments can make hyperpigmentation worse and damage the skin. I have not adequately researched this topic, but i believe people have had some adverse effects. so make sure to do YOUR research.

girlzie

Hi there, i am also like you i am sooo upset for the way i look at the moment it drives me to tears when i catch a glimps of myself.

I dont know how my husband can fancy me or my kids can look at me. I am 31 yrs old and hate myself. i have just spent new yr in Jamaica and cried every time i saw myself in the mirror because it looked like someone had took a black marker and drawn a tash on my top lip.

I have also been reading about melseton and was wondering if anyone had tried it. I am willing to try anything.....

Ayo

There is a ton of research out there on treatments for melasma. Here are just a few articles I found doing a quick search on Pubmed:



Melasma. Etiologic and therapeutic considerations - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7492140?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.P ubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pu bmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedreviews&lo gdbfrom=pubmed

The treatment of melasma: a review of clinical trials-ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17097400?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez. Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.P ubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=2&log$=relatedreviews&l ogdbfrom=pubmed

Utilizing combination therapy to optimize melasma outcomes-
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15552597?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed _ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=3

Hyperpigmentation and melasma.- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17760699?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez. Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.P ubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedreviews&l ogdbfrom=pubmed

Topical treatments for melasma and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17075653?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez. Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.P ubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedreviews&l ogdbfrom=pubmed

The role of topical retinoids in the treatment of pigmentary disorders: an evidence-based review- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19489658?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed _ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=8

Retinoid therapy of pigmentary disorders- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17014483?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez. Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.P ubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=2&log$=relatedreviews&l ogdbfrom=pubmed

A comprehensive review of the long-term and short-term treatment of melasma with a triple combination cream.- ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16901182?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez. Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.P ubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=5&log$=relatedreviews&l ogdbfrom=pubmed



If you had to ask me, I would say that the triple combination therapy seems the most promising route from what I just read. On top of treating the melasma, you'll also get the other skin enhancing benefits of tretinoin. But I would suggest you peruse the studies on Pubmed and see what suits you. Hope that helps.

jojo1

Hi there, sorry to hear about your melasma.
I have suffered with it for 4 years due to taking birth control pills(dont be alarmed at the length of time), my doctor would not do anything about it and kept telling me that it would go away when i stopped taking the pills 3 years ago!! I finally went back to see my doctor 2 weeks ago and he was not there so i spoke to a different doctor she referred me to a dermatologist who i saw on Monday (25th jan). She assured me that it will go and prescribed me some Azelaic acid which i have been using 2x a day for 2 days so far. I can really sympathise with you as my skin looks awful as i am naturally very pale and the melasma looks like my 10 year old has coloured my face in with a brown pen
I use makeup to cover it which is not ideal but it does cover it so long as you get the correct shade- dont think i can post the brand yet as i'm a newbie.
I will let you know next friday how the azelaic acid is doing, if theres any reactions or side effects etc, i'm not expecting a change in the melasma as i have been told 4weeks before i notice any change.

trico36

My melasma started 3 years ago.Was told by a reputable skin clinic that it was homonal(partly true) and that laser was the only way to treat it.Laser initially seemed to lighten it but came back even darker .Grrrrrr !! NO LASER EVER !! ( very skeptical about newish fraxel laser too).!!18 months ago fell pregnant with bub no. 3 and my melasma got so much worse .Brown patches everywhere and a particularly dark mo !! People kept telling me i had dirt on my face-gotta love that! After bub born it did lighten a bit but still pretty dark.I truly believe this is an internal condition .My melasma i believe to be caused by a combination of hormones,sun ,copper overload and yeast.Given this i thought i would start from the inside.I began taking vit C, magnesium,zinc,fish oil and a good probiotic.Would love to try msm,aloe extract and grapefruit seed oil but as i am breastfeeding have been advised against these for now.After almost four weeks of taking the vit c etc,i have seen some improvement.Only early days but am encouraged by this and will continue.Now for the outside.So many creams that claim to help.Decided to try the Celacor melasma kit.Arrived about 3 days ago and seeing some improvement already.Again i know only early days but one paticularly dark spot on my nose is noticably lighter! Will let you know how i am going in a few weeks.A big thanks to all those who have posted such great info and advice!!!

cheetahgirl

I'm new on this board and like most of you I too suffer with this horrid Melasma. Mine's spread in the middle of my forehead, sides of my upper cheeks. I fair and yes it's so noticable even under my foundation. I've had about4 Q laser sessions(failed), Cosmelan(failed), 2 Fraxels sessions(failed) used the best and some of the priciest products(failed). Laser treatments must've aggrivated my condition even more. I'm currently on day 22 of the Celacor Melasma kit and really do not see much difference. My skin has dried out with this product, melasma became patchy with tiny normal skin toned dots, no fading. I've lost hope and it was expensive. Not sure if I'll get my money back as they require the product back within exactly 30 days. I too am on a mission as to clearing my Melasma from within. I'm taking grapefruit seed extract3 capsules daily, 1000iu vit C, Vitamin A and my multivitamin. I feel positive and since taking this combo about 3 weeks now, my face seems plumpier..lol. I hope my melasma fade with this as I've read very good reviews of grapefruit seed extract on other sites. I've also been thinking if certain brands of foundation actually darken the melasma more? would anyone know? I like a medium to full coverage, however I've just started wondering if foundation contributes to darkening melasma?

Elena

Hi,cheetahgirl,your story ist just like mine.I also went to hematolosgist,ginecologist,dermatologist and many other "gists"in order to find the inner core of my melasma,but nobody helped.Actually they were interested in my money only and not in the results.I"ve read a lot about grapefruit seed extract but I can't understand how it works and doesn't it riun the inner balance of the body.As I know cosmetic with vit A is darkening melasma.I haven't found fondation that covers my spots.It makes them bluish and things look worst.Will keep trying.

tans

Hi

I have tried all the internal remedies ie grapefruit seed extract, MSM, DIM..... none of these worked for me. I saw my derm today and she said to stay away from lasers as they do not help melasma and only make it worse. She said that the mainstay treatment of melasma is hydroquinone. So I am now back on the hydroquinone. She also recommended a series of glycolic treatments to prime my skin for a TCA peel to help the hydroquione penetrate deeper into my skin to reach the pigment and stop it. Hope this helps....

Elena

Tans,what scheme for applying hydroquinone was prescribed to you?After the first lovely results using it,my spots are back. Is that your first time on hq?
Before hq,I used exfoliating tonic with Azelainic and Glycolic Acid.This cheap tonic helped me better than the priciest products,I've been buying for years.
Hq(Pigmanorm) looked so promising first,I still don't understand why things went wrong...again

cheetahgirl

I have Neostrata HQ plus in my cupboard. Will start using it after Celacor kit. Anyone had succes with the HQ plus by Neostrata? My usual skin products for the past 2 years has been the Neostrata line, however I've been using the more natural products by them. I'm so desperate as people comment of a ink marks on my cheeks. Wish they were on my bum istead..lol I just want my pre-pregnancy skin back but so done with forking out major cash for perfect skin. I thought "pregancy mask" would fade, mine just never did. I suppose all the treatments I've had aggravated it and concerned about products making my skin ultra-sensitve. I feel embarassed as everyone I know and every stranger I see, are not plastered with makeup like I am!! Just cannot leave the house without some foundation. Will continue with the internal treatments too and hope for a beautiful complexion