How do you deal with melasma?
Margit needs your advice on dealing with blotchy patches and spots on your face...
Margit could really use your help with a super common but tricky skin issue: tackling melasma (you know, that pesky hyperpigmentation) on your face.
So, if you've got any killer hacks, cool recommendations, or tried-and-tested products that have worked wonders for you, please drop them in the comments below — we want to hear it all!
I spoke to a derm about mine and she said, we can put all the creams in the world on your face and it's not going to help much. She suggested the laser treatment but I'm not willing to undergo that procedure, so I've decided to just be okay with them. I use a little makeup but I don't mind them peeking through. When I'm having a conversation with someone, their eyes inevitably move to my forehead where it's the worse but I just smile and say, oh you're looking at my leopard spots? And usually they ask what it is, so I explain it's from hormones and heat/sun, blah, blah, blah. I suffered from painful cystic acne starting at age 14 and birth control pills are the only thing that solved them. So I feel as though I traded cystic acne for melasma. A fair trade in my opinion.
Ah yes, when my cute freckles became bigger darker splotches it was quite disturbing for me. When I went to the cosmetic dermatologist about one particular one that was the biggest darkest one with the most clear borders she suggested freezing it vs. laser. Freezing is more economical, it doesn't hurt, and for a couple of weeks it looked like nothing was happening and then one day it just peeled right off leaving fresh clear skin under each. So I'd highly recommend. I use and have used various serums and brightening and lightening creams, and I don't think they do much. Maybe they fade the color down a notch, but they certainly don't get rid of the spots or splotches altogether.