Clear Your Melasma with These 7 Expert-Approved Skincare Tips

How To Get Rid of Melasma

In my dermatology clinic in Miami Florida, I have treated patients with the frustratingly persistent dark spots from melasma every workday for the last 20 years. Melasma is common in women ages 40 and under, is very hard to get rid of, and tends to be worse in hot, sunny climates like Miami.

What is Melasma?

Melasma is caused by clumps of excess melanin pigment in the skin. These dark brown or greyish spots most commonly occur on the forehead, upper lip, mustache area, and cheeks but the dark spots can occur on any parts of the face.

How to Get Rid of Melasma Forever?

It is not easy- but it is possible to get rid of melasma permanently. This involves a commitment on your part to change your lifestyle habits and consistently alternate between a treatment skincare routine and a maintenance skin care routine. I recommend that you read this entire blog before spending a lot of money on a skincare routine. Educating yourself on how to prevent worsening of melasma is the best way to get rid of melasma.

Treating melasma involves understanding the causes of melasma and making lifestyle changes that help prevent this persistent skin condition from coming back. Melasma loves to come back and it tends to recur on the exact same part of your face every time it recurs.

Skincare Routine to Clear Melasma

The best skincare routine to treat melasma really depends upon your Baumann Skin Type. This is because your cleanser and moisturizers will dramatically affect how well your skin lightening skincare routine works. In fact, if skin care products for melasma did not work for you in the past- it is probably because you did not combine products correctly in your skincare routine. The order of the steps in the skincare routine matters! In fact- the entire point of Skin Type Solutions is to help you design a step-by-step skincare routine for melasma where you choose the products for each regimen step from a list of products our dermatologist have tested. You can choose which brand, what price point etc., and the best part is that you can be confident that you have the right products for your skin type and that you are using them in the correct order. All you have to do is take the skin type quiz.

Take the Quiz

Most of the time, melasma skincare routines take 12-16 weeks to clear melasma. One reason it takes so long to erase melasma is that it takes around 40 days for the old skin cells to desquamate off of the skin’s surface and get replaced with younger less pigmented cells. Plus- if you miss a day or one application of your skincare routine- your melanocytes make more melanin and – suddenly –you are back to the beginning and the clock restarts. So—- CONSISTENCY MATTERS!

What Causes Melasma?

Melasma occurs when the skin makes too much of the skin pigment melanin causing an uneven skin tone. The skin color of the melasma spots can be grey, brown or black depending upon the type of melanin and how deep the melanin is in the skin, and what your natural skin color is.

The reasons melasma occurs is not completely understood but we know that the following all play a role in causing and worsening melasma:

Sun and light exposure (Yes -your cell phone and computer screen can worsen melasma)

Heat (I had a patient who was a baker and an oven made her melasma worse)

Hormones (Estrogen in pregnancy, birth control and hormone replacement therapy)

Inflammation

Stress (The stress hormone cortisol can cause melasma)

Over exfoliation (This causes inflammation)

Best Natural Melasma Treatments

Avoid any of the melasma causes listed above. Sun avoidance is key!

Eat a diet with fruits and vegetables to increase the amount of antioxidants in your body.

Get 7 hours of sleep

Reduce stress (mediate, yoga etc.)

Supplements and Vitamins for melasma- click here to learn more

Avoid infrared saunas or other heat exposure

Don’t get laser or light treatments- they can make melasma worse

The chances are that these natural DIY and melasma home remedies will not be enough to erase stubborn melasma that won’t go away easily. If you have underlying skin inflammation, then the melanocytes continue making pigment and you cannot get rid of melasma until you turn the melanocytes off so that they stop producing melanin. So -what do you do?

How To Remove Melasma?

Should you get lasers and lights and other treatments for melasma?

My best advice is- don’t get treatments for melasma that can injure skin, cause inflammation, and ultimately make melasma worse. I know- you hear all the time about how good lasers are for melasma- but trust me- it’s not worth the risk. (It is possible that in colder climates with less sun exposure the experience doctors see treating melasma with lasers is different than mine). I often see patients who have had laser, light, microneedling, or radiofrequency with other doctors that improved the melasma for a few months, but the dark spots came back worse after 3-5 months. (It is possible that the ones who had successful treatments don’t come and see me because their melasma is cured.) The fact is that at least once a week I have someone in my office who had a laser treatment for melasma with another doctor and it made the melasma worse. So my advice is- do the slower safer approach—a good melasma skincare routine. Chemical peels to treat melasma are a safer option when performed by a well-trained aesthetician or medical provider. Even if you choose to do a medical procedure for melasma, you still need to combine it with a skincare routine.

What Skincare Products to Use to Get Rid of Melasma?

You will need to use skincare products with skin lightening ingredients twice a day. Do not miss any applications. You need to pair skin lightening products with the correct cleansers and moisturizers. The type of skin lightening product you choose, for example a cream or a serum, depends upon your Baumann Skin Type and if you are oily or dry. Which skin lightening ingredients to choose depends upon whether or not you have sensitive skin or aging skin. It is always best to choose products to treat melasma that are right for your Baumann Skin type.

Take the Quiz

Click on the image below to find skin care products to treat melasma.

Most important tips for getting rid of melasma:

Know Your Baumann Skin Type

Follow our melasma skin care routine advice customized for your Baumann Skin Type

Use the products in the correct skincare routine order

Use them consistently twice a day as directed.

Change your lifestyle habits

Avoid sun and heat

Wear SPF every day even when indoors (because of light exposure)

Change your routine after 3-4 months to a Melasma Maintenance Routine

Get started NOW!

DQH Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? It’s easy to create a skincare routine, but knowing how to use it is another thing entirely. In most cases, if you’re not getting the desired skin results, it could be due to the layering of conflicting ingredients. So, is it possible that salicylic acid and vitamin C are such ingredients? Or are these active ingredients the duo that’s been missing from your skincare routine? If you want answers, stick around because today we are going to explain the benefits of salicylic acid and vitamin C and how they can be used in your daily life. What are the benefits of salicylic acid for skin? Salicylic acid is one of the most commonly used beta hydroxy acids and is favored by many people with oily, acne-prone skin. This acid is derived from willow bark, and unlike its water-soluble relatives (called alpha-hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which means it can penetrate deeper into the lower layers of the skin. Once it reaches the lower layers, it can help unclog pores of excess sebum, dirt, bacteria, debris, and impurities. This results in clearer skin tones and greater definition. Not only does salicylic acid benefit the underlying layers, but the outer surface of the skin benefits as well. When applied to the skin, salicylic acid removes the buildup of dead skin cells. This is accomplished by breaking the bonds that hold dead cells to the surface. Over time, this can cause the complexion to look dull and prone to acne, blackheads, and other blemishes. If you’d like to learn more about salicylic acid and how it can improve your skin, check out this dedicated blog post from a beauty insider. What are the benefits of vitamin C for skin? Vitamin C is considered one of the most powerful antioxidants, which means it is very effective at fighting free radicals and preventing them from causing further skin damage. Examples of free radicals include pollution, central heating, UV rays and harsh climate. They attack proteins, fats and cell membranes as soon as they come into contact with the skin, causing signs of premature aging such as fine lines and wrinkles as well as hyperpigmentation, flaky patches of skin and loss of elasticity. Many people usually prefer to use vitamin C in their morning routine as this ingredient gives the complexion a radiant glow. You’ll also find that vitamin C can target areas of hyperpigmentation, plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The thing about vitamin C is that there are a lot of outdated studies going back to the 1950s that describe vitamin C as an unstable skin component. Thanks to improvements in modern technology, this is no longer the case as all products now contain a stable form of vitamin C. Visit The Beauty Insider to learn more about vitamin C. So please check out our blog post. Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, it’s thought that using salicylic acid before using vitamin C ensures it penetrates faster and works faster. This is an efficient way to utilize two power sources, and the reason has to do with pH. For example, the skin’s natural pH is about 4.7, making it slightly acidic. Salicylic acid and vitamin C are also both acidic, and you’ll find that vitamin C is absorbed quickly into the skin. Therefore, using salicylic acid beforehand can increase the acidity of the skin and allow vitamin C to penetrate into the skin faster. While this is considered an effective way to combine two powerful ingredients, you need to be aware of your skin type and how it reacts to certain active ingredients. Even people with perfect, normal skin can experience skin sensitivity and irritation. Therefore, always consult a doctor or dermatologist before using any new products on your skin. It’s also important to follow skin application rules. In this case, you need to use the product correctly to ensure you get the best results for your skin. If you’re not sure what I mean, the basic rule for skin is to start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the thickest consistency. This prevents a barrier from forming on the surface, preventing other active ingredients from penetrating the skin. Can I use salicylic acid at night and vitamin C in the morning? Yes, absolutely, this is considered the most effective way to get returns without any adverse side effects. This is because there is enough time between applications to ensure that the skin’s pH levels return to balance. You’ll also find that Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and is perfect for use in the morning to ensure your skin is protected and looking its healthiest. Due to the small size of salicylic acid molecules, it is an acid that is able to reach the deepest parts of the skin. While this is effective at keeping skin clear, it also increases the risk of irritation and photosensitivity. Therefore, many people prefer to use powerful BHAs in their evening routine without exposure to UV rays, pollution, or harsh weather. Warning: If you avoid using sunscreen every day, none of these ingredients will do what your skin needs. The combination of chemical peels and powerful ingredients increases the risk of further damage to the skin’s surface. Use SPF 50 every day to keep your skin protected and your lipid barrier healthy, even on cloudy days, keeping your skin in top condition.

Related Articles

Ad Blocker Detected