DutchSK
New Member
 
Joined: 26 Aug 2009
Posts: 5
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Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:57 am  |
Hi All -- New to this website but feeling your pain. I was 35 and on BC pills, and it started under my eyes (top of cheeks). Even stopping the pill, it spread to my chin, cheeks (near jaw line) and a few spots on nose and chin. It crept up on me, and I finally realized how bad it was when my poor niece saw me without makeup and thought I had a sunburn (dark and very blotchy).
One thing to note - I have fair, very sensitive skin, which tends to be oily, and I've had breakouts since I was 12, much less than now at 47, but I still get some acne
I've tried just about everything
- Hyrdoquinone didn't work and even caused a rebound effect, with darker spots
- Retin A didn't work and was too drying, with my skin constantly peeling (really ugly under makeup I needed to try to hide my melasma)
- Azeliec Acid was gentler than Retin A, but not real results
- An OTC mix of Kojic Acid + C + other stuff, no results
- Various OTC peels/creams, no results
- Monthly peels at the dermo office, no results
- medium strength TCA peel was great, but expect a few weeks downtime for crusting and peeling, but it came right back as my skin healed (a tiny bit lighter, but it came back)
- dermabrasion did absolutely nothing
- lasers-I tried IPL, no really good results. tried another laser treatment (sorry forgot the name of this one) which was like 3rd degree burns, meaning I had to scrape off the crusting for several weeks and was really painful. In the end, it helped with some fine lines, but although the melasma went away, it came back as my skin started healing. The dermo was mad thinking I had been in the sun, but I assure you I had not. It's much lighter now, but I still have it, plus a couple of light small scars from the laser treatment (so much more $$$ than the medium strenght TCA peel, but no better results for me)
- MSM supplement, tried for over a year, but no noticeable difference
- Pycnogenol (pine tree extract)supplement, have been taking for a few months now, no real results yet (not expecting them)
- My sister (whose melasma is lighter and looks less blotchy) is trying Tri-luma, and I'll be interested to see if the results last.
In the end, I'm like a lot of you, no results or no lasting results -- except a much lighter wallet.
Since the TCA peel/laser treatment, it is lighter but still there. I maintain by using SS (most clog my pores so I'm currently looking into a mineral version of it -- any good suggestions?), and by adding Vit C powder (Philosophy brand) to my current skind care regimen -- plus staying out of the sun. I still need makeup to cover the spots.
My only advice -- whatever treatment you do, you have to make sure you plan something you can use to maintain long-term.
I think most doctors have felt it's superficial, and with my fair complexion, they thought it should be easy to treat -- but it has not.
I'll be following the melasma forums in the hopes that one day, there will be a cure. In the meantime, I try not to be so self conscious and maintain hope. |
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