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Dermal melasma on upper lip

60K views 35 replies 19 participants last post by  phoenix77 
#1 ·
Please I need help. Anyone out there have dermal upper lip melasma that has responded to any treatment at all?

I'm so distraught about this. Anywhere , just anywhere!, on my face would be better than making me look like I have a moustache. And Oh so difficult to cover up. Makeup and concealer don't cover well.

Any input would help. Thanks!!
 
#2 ·
Hi,
so sorry to hear about what you're going through. Unfortunately I know all to well what this is like :-( I don't know your Fitz Scale but you should try a Beta Chem peel, the B-lift works pretty good you should try the 20 / 30% concentration. You can only have it done at Dr's offc tho and it costs anywhere from $150-200. I mean I would also say try hydroquinone, but I'm sure you already have. Haven't we all :-(, try the peel and wear tons of sunblock. I really hope that helps. I'm struggling with PIH and I have it on my upper lip too, so I really empathize. Anywhere else on the body would work for me. It sucks! I'm gonna start using lumixyl to try and lighten the PIH and see how that works. Peace
 
#3 ·
I also have the melasma on my upper lip and it is a total nightmare. Its such a strange thing that up close i can see the medium light brown blotches then a couple feet away its like a greyish color and looks like im sporting a moustache. My self esteem is crushed and i feel so gross and barely leave my house. I have tryed the hydroqunoine and its faded it slightly but still see it real good. So what did the beta chem peel work for you ReneeYay?? My doctor is suggesting the obagi blue peel or IPL and after reading some reviews I am so scared it will make it way worse.
 
#4 ·
Thank you Renee
I may just have to try another peel. I have tried Cosmelan in the past but the maintenance formula keeps changing and hate always being dry and flaky. But really upper lip area is the most stubborn and impossible to cover up. Do you think beta peel will not make it worse later even if it might work initially. I'm also so afraid of any downtime ... Is there any downtime.
Also what is PIH? I hope you see positive results for yours.
Thanks for your thoughts.
 
#5 ·
Hi nelly!
Mine is also exactly what you're describing. Isn't it the worst feeling when you stand in front of the mirror and you see a moustache you can't get rid of?!!!! I have melasma
on most part of my face but the upper lip
Part is te most embarrssing. Cosmelan peel helped alot couple of yrs back but it is so diffic to maintain topically. But I may have to do another peel of some sort again but I'm so afraid of downtime and rebound attacks. I really don't know what to do and I'm distressed 90% of the time. I don't remember the last time facing and talking to someone without secretly hoping I don't look
funny or they don't notice anything. I hate caking on stupid concealers that barely cover only half of it and the area feels so "stuffy" w all the gunk.
Does your doctor feel blue peel is good for dermal melasma? Or that it is better than Cosmelan? I'm like you ... I feel I need to do
Another peel but I'm so afraid to. I have recently done four mild mandelic acid peel at home but it doesn't seem to make a difference, at least no yet. Sorry for rambling on ...
Let us know what you decide. Good luck to you!
 
#6 ·
hey guys....have you ever tried mandelic acid...apparently that and that laser are the only thing that will make dent in dermal melasma if it doesnt rwesolve on its own...and ofcourse sunscreen. i heard that pigmentary things dont change until you start using atleast 15% free acid value so might have to work up some tolerance.....ive tried the garden of wisdom mandelic acid 10% and had good results for skin overall so im gonna try the 15% to see what it does for me...

ive got dermal on my upper lip too...it sucks lol
 
#7 ·
Hi xglam,
Yes I recently started using 25% mandelic acid peel every 4 days .. Did around 4 treatments. But when am I supposed to see results? I don't see any difference except slight tingling and redness during peel time then next morning goes back to normal. Any info on progress and expectations would help. Thanks.
 
#9 ·
hey phantomask...i'd definately have to say the most important thing is to have patience with it and try it for atleast a couple of months even up to 6 months. dermal melasma isnt going anywhere overnight definately. are you also using a strict sunscreen routine daily and so on?

btw are you using the makeupartistchoice peel....havent tried that yet myself but with mandelic acid peeling isnt going to be common at that % because it is milder than lactic and glycolic so what you experienced is entirely normal and to be expected.

i know it might seem like a bit of a let down but its definately one of those things like retin-a for example that you have to use consistently for a while before you see results.

it would be kinda misleading to tell you your skin will do this then and then here because we are all different after all. my tip is definately take progress pictures because this stuff works kinda slow so you might miss an improvements but if you have a pic at each stage taken under the same conditions, its not gonna lie about wheather or not the stuff is working



for my skin, i've been using a 10% concentration serum from garden of wisdom and have worked up to nightly usage and have been using it for 3 months. its done a miracle on my acne and some PIH i had from old acne and has definately improved my overall eveness i guess it was taking away my permatan lol. i saw some real improvements on the areas where i had epidermal melasma but im now gonna move up to 15% and see what it does for me and my dermal. im gonna stick to the routine for a year because i've had such good results so far.
i'd definately say stick with it consistently until the container is empty to see if it works for you....and don't get discouraged because it does take a while.

when i started using my serum i experienced the same thing for a while. its only been the last couple of weeks that i've started seeing the results i talked about before except for the improvements in acne....hope that helps
 
#8 ·
I know many people swear against this but it really did help for my upper lip. When I first found out I had melasma, my whole face was inflicted my my moustache was the most embarrassing piece for me. I started IPL laser treatments until I realized that I also have to fight this internally as well. I had her focus only on my upper lip for a few sessions and not the rest of my face just so it could blend in with the rest of my face, and believe it or not, it really helped! I still have melasma all over my face but my upper lip is not the most noticible part.
 
#10 ·
Hi Phantomask,

I too have the dreaded tache!Looks different under different light and highly embarrrassing..even more so when a friend put photos of us on facebook and to my horror my moustache was VERY visible......oooh cringe.....mortified!
Ive tried lots of stuff nothing works...makeup and concealer just seems to make mine more noticable...
Ive been using the msm,zinc and acv for a few weeks and i have noticed change to my cheeks and forehead but not alot on my upper lip....the only trhing i found that made a slight difference was microdermabrasion..so if anyone finds a good remedy or good cover up ..please let me know ...
 
#11 ·
Xglam, thank you for your discussion. Yes my MA peel is from makeupartist choice. I think you're right.. I'll just have to keep at it and be patient. In the mean time I do notice my lips get super dry and even develop little bumps onthe outline of them. So strange, it's very uncomfortable. And taking pics is a good practical way to monitor changes.. The only thing is I get so depressed from even looking at the pictures. I took them a couple of months ago and I almost broke down and cried. Anyway I'm glad things are working out for you. I hope things continue to improve and all your PIH is gone.

Hi B77,
Thanks for sharing. Yeah it's awful to live with this stupid moustache. I'm trying to be patient but it's so hard. I'm glad msm etc are working out for you somewhat. But lucky for us that the worst place to have melasma is the most difficult to get rid of!! Maybe the skin component and cells are different in that area from other areas of face. I hate it!!!!! I avoid so many social functions bc of it. When I do go out I have to take extra half hour just working on that area trying to conceal it. In the past cosmelan peel worked pretty well but my moustache area ws not that bad at the time. But when Everything came back, Charlie chaplin showed up with a vengeance. Arggh! I've tried micro derm before but it didnt seem to help me much .. Maybe I'll try it again..?? I'm trying some new topicals and will update you if warranted. Wish you luck with your therapy.
 
#12 ·
Hey Everybody!
First I just want to say, I have suffered with PIH (post-inflamatory hyperpigmentation) for nearly 10 years and while I don't have melasma, (even though there are instances when PIH can become melasma) I am going throught the exact same things that everyone in this forum is experiencing. But the point I want to make is although what we have to endure is beyond challenging at least there is a gathering place for us where we can let our guards down and talk about what's going on with us with others who are experiencing the same things. For 10 years I dealt with this on my own now groups , no message boards, and i have to just say that there is a tremendous since of comfort that comes from knowing that I am not alone. That there are people who know exactly what it feels like to always be self aware, self-conscious. And while that alone isn't enough to clear-up my skin, it is a source of strength that helps me move forward. Anywho, yes, the Beta-chem peels work wonders. The only one I have ever used is the B-lift in concentrations of 20-30 %. Now, I am new to these forums as i said and something keeps making me scratch my head. There are or at least it seems that there are a lot of ppl using "industrial strength" products on their own at home. I understand that you can save on money that way, but how can you trust the integrity of something you purchase online? I wouldn't. And everyone is using chem peels / acid like it's water. I'm not giving a sermon, I just want us all to be okay. I read several ppl used Mandelic acid; which is an AHA, essentially a "fruit-acid" peel. Like I said in my original post, I don't know what everybody's skin type is, mine is a Fitz V/ VI, and Black / Indian / Hispanic skin regardless of whether your light or dark, does not tolerate AHA's. What happens as some of ya'll have said is you get rebound darkening, in my opinion and im no Dr, but have read countless medical journals and things to try and help myself, it more likely that it's not just rebound darkening, but PIH. Your using acid so the skin will always peel and maybe the first couple of weeks as you heal its light, because you've lost a couple of layers of skin, but the ultimately the skin will react from having been burned-off by the AHA and re-darken. If you have Fitz skin V/ VI it safer to use a Beta aka "Lactic-acid" peel. True if you have Dermal hyperpigmentation, it's harder to treat using a BHA ( Beta-hydro acid) peel cuz the coloration in deeper in the skin, and that's why i think a lot of ppl try the AHA's suz they go deeper. But they will on cause adverse reactions. Same goes for retins; they're not good for dark skin. At the height of my "peeling" I was doing it once a month ( it's cost a king's ransom), but what choice do we have? I would suggest getting on a serious peeling schedule like once a month. You can keep with the hydroquinone but don't exceed more than 4%, cuz hydroquinone is a unstable in higher concentrations, and especially cuz you're putting it on your face. Get a Good cortersteroid. There there is one I used to use, I would get it at the Dr offc. It's a medium strength-steroid, its called Locoid or something like that. I remember the Dr gave it ot me cuz it contained fatty-acids which were good for my skin after a peel cuz it can make the skin really dry. Oh I wanted to say that if you have Fitz skin I-V, using AHA's and retins is safer, but you still need to exercise serious caution, and I still would use any acid over 30%. And I definitely would not use combo peels like Jessner or TCA, but even if you do, for ppl w/ I-V skin there is less risk of PIH. Also ppl are using IPL that is like one of the worse thing you can use if you have dark skin. I read many studies and the onyl laser that seems to work (but the research is still inconclusive) are the Q-switched Alexandrite and Ruby lasers. Preference seems to be given to the Alexandrite laser. There is a medical case study I will try and post the link. Anywho someone asked if there is "downtime" yes there is. I always try to schedule my peels on Thurs, cuz the peeling gets real ugly, you will not want to go outside with your skin crumbling and flaking-off. So buy food and prepare to sit in the house for about 4-5 days. I would always manage to get "sick" on Friday, or I'd go to work on Fri and call-out "sick" Monday and Tuesday. Lol. Anywho, immediately after the peel you're skin will feel very tight and you might notice a slight to dramatic color change. It may get very dark, or it may get very red,or a combo of both. Don't panic cuz that's normal. Use the steroid, and leave it be! Don't put other preparations on it, don't touch it, and don't use a wash cloth on your face for about 8 days. Yeah it's kind gross but after you have more peels you can use a wash cloth like four days after, but in the beginning anything you do can cause trauma to the skin and cause PIH. Use only luke warm water. Yes you can use soap. But no chemical soaps. I use Ivory all the time. Or you can use Aveeno, or Johnson's baby soap, but nothing crazy. Your skin may itch too, so that's another reason to use the Steroid. and DON'T USE high-Strength steroids like; fluocinanide or any that are fluorinated. Fluorine helps lighten skin, but can cause side-effects. But Fluo might help after the skin has healed but not in the beginning. Use sunblock if your exposed to any sun at all, even on the crusty skin that's flaking and definitely afterwards. I use Neutrogena Ultra Sport. I like the one in the can w/ helioplex. It's clear. you can use the lotion one too, I use it sometimes, but its really white and thick and always leaves my skin looking like there is a film over it. But either is good if you wear make-up, and even if you don't. I use SPF 50 and over always. So for the peel just give it time to peel completely. It may not peel uniformly; meaning there just may be areas that seem to linger after other areas have completely peeled off. But there's nothing you can do about it. and whatever you do DON'T PEEL OFF THE SKIN YOURSELF, becuz you will definitely cause scarring and PIH. During this time applying make up is a challenge, but so is everything else in life. About 3 weeks after the peel the skin is completely healed and then if you choose I guess it's safe to use Hydroquinone. I have never done that. But in a couple of weeks I am going to return to using peels. And I was going to try out doing the peels and using Hydroquinone. And I am going to start using Lumixyl, cuz it's supposed to be a wonder-drug. I guess we'll see! I think I answered everything. But please let me know if there is anything I left out. I will post the link to the case-study and I will keep everybody posted on my Lumixyl adventure. We have to stay strong!
Peace and Blessings.
 
#13 ·
ReneeeYay - It seems that you have done a lot of research, which we value very much on SCT! Next time, please do me a favor and use some bullet points or paragraph breaks so my "old lady" eyes don't go buggy!


For those who don't know what the B-lift is, here is some info. It looks like microencapsulated salicylic acid: Learn More - Other Cosmetic Services

Also, just a point of clarification - Lactic acid is not a beta hydroxy acid. It is an AHA. It's just a larger molecule than glycolic, so it doesn't penetrate the skin as fast or as deep.

Glad you're having some success, and thanks for sharing!
 
#14 ·
Oh and I forgot to mention that there is something called the Excimer laser. It's used primarily on ppl who have Vitalligo, but i have used it cuz it causes skin to darken. No I don't have Hypopigmntation; whitened areas. But I used it because it helps camouflage the darker areas. The laser treatments are expensive $ 100 a pop. but they help. What you can also do and what i have done too is go and get suntanning treatments at a local spa. it's cheaper like $30 a pop. and it works just as well. I don't know about everybody on here, but my facial hyperpigmentation is only in some areas; right above the upper-lip,( the mustache area, but not the entire filtrum area; from nose to lip), on my chin, and on my forehead so what i do sometimes is go to the tanning parlor. I apply a sick amount of sunblock, and this is the case when i use the real white thick stuff. I put it on the dark areas, but on the rest of my face I use baby oil. I use one of the machines specifically for the face and i sit there for about 7-10 min since i'm already dark it doesn't take that long plus, you'll continue to get dark over the next couple of days so you don't want to over do it. If you're very light fitz I-IV, then you may want to sit there a little longer. But I wouldn't do a full 15 or 20 min in the beginning. You just have to experiment with the time until you find what works best for you. I know tanning might not be a possibility for everybody in here, but I just wanted to disclose everything I do to try and improve my skin.
Peace
 
#18 ·
You need to cleanse your liver. I have the grayish blue upper lip melasma and have been taking d3 to help with absorption and a cleanse and its lightening quickly! You also need to balance your hormones which I am about to do with some natural progesterone. But the liver cleanse has been my biggest change...Relief!!!!
 
#21 ·
Hi,
I just joined because of your post and one other!!! You are the ONLY OTHER PERSON I've found that finds tanning the rest of your face makes it a bit better. I have avoided tanning because my dermatologist told me (when it started randomly a few years ago) that it was caused by birth control I went to lay out in the sun. Obviously this made it much worse but I have always been a sun girl, no suntan lotion (I know bad) but it cleared my skin and I spent all my summers at the beach it's just what I did. I went back to the doc and he pretended he told me about the sun and bc combination but I know he didn't lol. Anyway he also said going off the pill wouldn't help but when I asked again like 3 YEARS later he said changing brands might help stop it from advancing but of course couldn't make it go away (for that tri-luma cream) and of course 70 sunblock and a hat. I can't go off birth control because I can't get pregnant for another a year or two (just got married but mUST finish grad school) and also I break out big time especially when I'm stressed which grad school and full time job is great for lol so I need it to help my stress induced acne.

Is there any more info you can share about your face regimen? Are you still tanning? Does it help? Sorry to ask you so many questions I just am finding so much comfort in reading about someone actually similar to what I think makes mine at least look better.

Thank you so much, you made my day!!!!

-Deb
 
#22 ·
Hi-I also have melasma on my upper lip-just bought a cosmelan kit (Cost was $380) . Going to try a test patch on my leg tonight before I put it on my lip. I will try to do a daily post to let everyone know how it goes. Fingers crossed!!

Has anyone else noticed that the worse lighting for melasma is at Target-I hate going into that store-instant grey mustache no matter how much makeup I cake on!!!
 
#24 ·
hi what does msm , zinc, acv, mean, are these pills. i have the worst melasma on my face on forehead, cheeks, people stare and have called a ugly stain face, and a monster , so i tried makeup artist peel on face n the worse happen, it spread even more. can some help, i have dermal melasma, tried so many things even laser, thank you
 
#27 ·
I have melasma on my upper lip and it's dominated my life for the past few years. I'm not sure if it's dermal or epidermal (dermatologist said epidermal, but it is grayish/blue and doesn't have defined borders so I self-diagnosed as being dermal). This is a terrible thing to deal with - I was distraught for the first several months that it appeared, and it's caused a lot of angst/depression/sadness in my life since. I've confided in my husband, friends, and family all of which say either 1) they can't see it or 2) that's it's not noticeable. Regardless, it bugs the h*** out of me and it's all I see when I look in the mirror. I also feel like people are looking at it, and it makes me super self conscious all the time.

I've tried a TON of different creams, treatments, etc. but I have to say that finding the root cause is probably the only way to ever get rid of melasma. I've also tried a ton of different supplements without reseraching or knowing why they might be effective for melasma (out of pure desperation to find a cure). Now that I'm more in tune with my body and what probably caused melasma in the first place, I am only taking supplements that make sense for me, instead of a bunch of random stuff that helped other people.

I also think melasma is caused by more than one factor, and that you have to solve all of those issues plus take a multi-faceted approach to get rid of melamsa. Mine is still visible, but I have noticed some fading recently that I think is due to my new approach.

First, I think the following factors combined cause melasma to appear on my upper lip: frequent use of antibiotics for recurring UTI's, hypothyroidism, diet high in sugar and carbohydrates leading to candida infection and subsequent yeast infections, birth control pills, and extreme stress. (Mine appeared after an insanely stressful year of my life.) All of these symptoms/conditions are probably interlaced and might be due to one another so I am addressing all of them.

I'm taking a three-pronged attacked - diet, supplements, and natural creams.

Diet - I know I have candida. Melasma is not my only symptom. So I'm following a candida diet (as best I can) which means very low sugar/carbs, no caffeine, etc. I feel a lot better in general and have much better digestion overall. I started with a liver cleanse which got me on the right track and helped break a lot of bad habits. Also, toxins built up in your system can contribute to melasma. I make a lot of my own food now so I know what's in it (yogurt, etc.).

Supplements:
MSM - I tried taking loads of this when it first appeared with no success, but I was also on BCP still at the time. Now a few years later, I've started taking MSM again...now I know that MSM can help heal leaky gut syndrome which I believe I also have in conjunction with candida overgrowth.
Vitamin C - good for sugar cravings when on a candida diet, also works best when taken in conjunction with MSM.
Milk Thistle - good for improving liver function.
Caprylic Acid - helps kill candida.
Grapefruit Seed Extract - helps kills candida.

Skincare:
I use Meladerm which is all natural. I was too scared to ever try hydronquinone although two different dermatologists prescribed it to me and I paid for it. I read horror stories about it making melasma worse, and I couldn't bear that.
SUNSCREEN - make sure you wear something with zinc oxide. Meladerm offers this as part of their routine.
Stay out of the sun as much as possible. That said, I still just try to live my life. I notice my melasma looks darker after being in the sun for an extended period, but usually goes back to "normal" after a day or two.

I'm not sure what is helping, but this combo seems to be working for me. My melasma is by no means gone and it might never be, but it is SLIGHTLY less noticeable/more managable and right now that's all I can ask for. Also, knowing that I'm doing as much as I possilby can to help get rid of it helps when I start to get down/depressed. Before I couldn't stick with anything because I wanted immediate results, so I'd give up too soon and then be discouraged. This is a terrible condition that no one should have to endure. It's not fair, and I always wondered why did this happen to me. But you have to move past that - it is what it is and I try to be thankful it's just cosmetic.

I was also always too embarassed to talk about it, but I've found that confiding in friends/family takes away a lot of the shame/guilt/embarassment associated with melasma. Everyone I've spoken to about it has been really supportive and helpful. So don't be afraid to reach out to someone. We are way more crifitcal of ourselves than others are.
 
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