Blog Fabulous

244 opinions for Can A Leopard Change Her Spots

• Janet
  Jun 5, 2007 at 11:57 am

  I can’t find a cure, but I’ve found a make up that works for me. It’s called Shear Cover, and yes I ordered it from an infomercial. That’s what staying home with a new baby will do. I felt helpless with and was willing to try anything. It’s not as great as I’d hoped, but it’s better than anything I’ve tried so far. The best part is that there is no foundation. I hate to wear make up, but this is really easy and light. It’s just a cover up with a powder that goes on and covers up like a heavy foundation would do. So, if you’re really feeling desperate for a new make up give it a try.

  Now, I not only got dark spots on my face, but my acne was out of control. My face is totally messed up with brown spots and scars from acne. Why now when I’m in my thirties and not when I was younger. Why is it that my hormones are all screwed up now? Is it due to hormones and stress? How can I make it go away? Why can my husband wash his face once a day with any body soap, and has perfect skin, and I have to us medicated face wash and several different topical lotions and I still struggle? Urgh… Write about that on your next blog and help me find a cure. thanks,
  Janet

• Tracee
  Jun 5, 2007 at 1:43 pm

  Janet -

  I had exactly the same problem with the acne. The cure is easy. Go to your doctor, any doctor and ask for some prescription Benzacline. It totally works and a jar lasts forever.

  I had acne on my chest, back, neck and face during my first pregnancy and it did not go away after. I had some lame “no medication” doctor. This doctor let me use the Benzacline during pregnancy and nursing though. It will totally clear the acne up.

  I sampled the Shear Cover in the store and it didn’t seem to help. I guess it was maybe mineral sheers - one of them. I’m currently using a knock off mineral foundation from Nuetrogena. Not that thrilled with it.

  Tracee

• Zittier Than An Adolescent
  Jun 7, 2007 at 5:01 am

  […] per a request by Janet, a fellow mom who feels my spotty pain with the blasted pregnancy mask, I’m going to tell you about the cure for […]

• Julie
  Jun 11, 2007 at 9:20 pm

  I am right there with you. My son is 4 yrs old and the mask is STILL just as dark as it was when I was pregnant, at least the brown dots and splotches are! I still have a little orange lining around my cheeks. I had perfect skin, maybe 5 pimples my whole life and now I’m stuck with this?!! I even tried going off Birth Control for a year, thought maybe my body thought I was still pregnant but nothing worked! I’m going tomorrow to talk to my Gyn to ask her to send me to a Derm doc for that hydroquinone, or whatever it is called- I’ve been reading a lot and that name keeps popping up. I’ll try it and let you know what happens.
  Hang in there!

• Tracee
  Jun 12, 2007 at 7:40 am

  Julie and Janet,

  I bought Palmer’s Skin Success Eventone Fade Cream with 2% Hydroquinone and it even has sunscreen in it. It was at the local pharmacy for $5.99.

  Tracee

• I Found The Spot-Remover!
  Jun 15, 2007 at 5:01 am

  […] Okay, so I’ve complained to death about my melasma or pregnancy mask. […]

• ct
  Jun 18, 2007 at 9:36 am

  Hey, I stumbled upon your website after I wanted to find out more about melasma and pregnancy. I am newly married, have suffered from melasma for a few years, but don’t know anyone personally who has gone through it. I will probably be having a baby in the next few years and need to know the expriences of other sufferers of melasma, so I know what to expect.

  Some people say the melasma may actually lighten up during pregnancy (highly doubt that) but most say that it usually lightens up after giving birth. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

  FYI - there is a huge melasma forum on a website called SkincareRx.com and they offer tons of advice and help. Not really a cure, but help.

  I have tried all kinds of creams, hydroquinone, Triluma, Cosmelan, you name it and I’ve tried it. So far, the only thing that has worked for me is a cream from China called Jiaoli. It’s sold on ebay and has lightened my melasma by about 60%. However, before you buy it, go on SkincareRX forum and check out the warnings from people. You can’t use it when you’re pregnant or nursing either.

  Hope this helps!! One day, there WILL be a permanent cure for these awful dark spots!!!

• Tracee
  Jun 18, 2007 at 9:48 am

  CT,

  Did you get melasma from sun damage or the pill or what? I did go to Houston this weekend and found a make up very like Sheer Cover, as mentioned previously by Janet. This one is PurMinerals Pure Perfection. The over the counter Nuetrogena was a waste of money.

  I’m going to do tomorrows blog about it so stay tuned!

• Pur Perfection for Pregnancy Mask
  Jun 19, 2007 at 4:01 am

  […] Houston I found this make-up that covers my melasmaor leopard face pretty […]

• Corrin
  Jun 29, 2007 at 2:46 pm

  I too have been battling with pregnancy mask. first started on the pill so I quit taking that and it went away but when I was pregnant with my second child 3 years ago it started again. This time it was so bad no one I knew (including my doctor) had ever seen it so bad. I did see a dermatologist for 8 months and have tried numerous creams including hydrquinone and while the mask has lightened a bit it is still there. any ounce of sun WILL make it worse so be diligent with sunscreen. My dermatologist has given up and said there is nothing more he can do.
  people will say that laser treatment is an option but there is a chance that a laser will lock the mask into your skin absolutely permanently.
  so, now I have demanded my doctor to run hormone tests on me (they don’t like doing these)
  as it is hormone related I am hoping if something appears out of whack there may be a solution. my next step is going to see a homeopathic doctor when I get the results.
  Corrin

• Julie
  Jul 3, 2007 at 3:38 pm

  Hey!! I’m back! I just wanted to say that I came across Oil of Olay’s Definety which is the face lotion. It lightened my face considerably within the first 5-7 days! I got it for $9 for a 1.25oz jar at our local Acme supermarket but CVS had it for $30! So I bought a lot from Acme! It smells a little more powdery than I like but it is probably made more for the older woman who grew up with that smell so I just deal with it. They have the foaming moisturizer which is so nice and doesn’t smell quite as much. It is so nice, and some of them do have the SPF 15 which is really nice. I’ve only been using it for about 8 days straight now, once a day and my ‘glow’ came back and it was so amazing- I didn’t realize until then how much it Really bothered me. It is amazing- I still have about 30% left to get rid of but it is much lighter and the almost black dots in the patch are only a light brown now, more like light freckles.
  I hope this may help someone out there. I just stumbled upon this out of no where and if you read the BACK of the packaging, it’ll say it is for brown spots.

• Julie
  Jul 3, 2007 at 3:42 pm

  Tracee- did the Palmer’s work at all?

• Tracee Sioux
  Jul 4, 2007 at 9:14 am

  Yes, it did fade the spots. However when I took the kids to the pool it felt like my face was going to burn off. I highly recommend waiting until summer fun is over to try the photosensitive hydroquinone if you’re going to be outside. I had a ton of sunscreen and big glasses on.

  Tracee

• Julie
  Jul 11, 2007 at 2:10 pm

  I had no probs at all with the Oil of Oly product - sounds a little scary about the burning!! I bet i only have about 20-30% of the mask left, it is so nice!!

• Tracee
  Jul 12, 2007 at 8:39 am

  no, the oil of olay product does not burn, it’s not photo-sensitive.

  It’s they hydroconoine product - the palmers fade cream that is photo-sensitive. I didn’t notice a dramatic decrease in the mask with the oil of olay product. However, I only used it for one month.

  I scored some really prescription stuff - but I”m waiting till fall to use it because it is photosensitive.

  Tracee

• Julie
  Jul 13, 2007 at 4:58 pm

  Tracee- I wonder why one product would work on one of us and not the other?! Maybe it is something different in us that is causing the mask? I can still see the ’spiderman eye’ shape on my cheeks but the brown blob that was on my left cheek is gone! I even started wearing my hair back again and thinking of cutting it short again, I guess I grew it to hide my face but didn’t realize it until it has lightened. The things we do….
  when you take the prescript. stuff do let us know how it works, if it burns and about how long you noticed something happening if anything. Hang in there!

• Tracee
  Jul 13, 2007 at 5:33 pm

  Different skin, different hormones, different amounts of melanin in our skin, different amounts of previous sun damage would explain why one product would work and why it would not on me.

  If I found it for $9 I would use it tons too. But, I don’t have an Acme. Hump. At $30 a pop it didn’t work enough to incorp. into my skincare. Not yet anyway.

  I seriously question how much my mask has to do with the laying out and sun worship I did in my youth. Did that permanently mess with my melanin levels? According to some dermatologists that’s why some fair skinned women keep the mask for longer than others.

  Children do NOT lay out! You really will look bad when you’re 30 - who would have thought that 30 would actually turn out to be so young?

  Tracee

• Rosemarie
  Jul 14, 2007 at 3:04 am

  I recently has an acid peel to try and rid my face of the brown patches associated with the melasma condition. This treatment was advised by my G.P. I would not advise anyone to do the same, if anything the condition has worsened since the treatment. It was expensive and involved three weeks away from work.

• Tracee
  Jul 14, 2007 at 7:08 am

  Rosemarie,

  That’s pretty extreme. 3 weeks from work. Man. I’m sorry it didn’t work, but I thank you for the warning.

  Tracee

• Julie
  Jul 23, 2007 at 4:18 pm

  HI, I NEVER laid out in my younger years and I am almost 33 in 2 months- so I know the sun couldn’t have done this. My mask is so light now that it isn’t really noticable, just by me but not as near as dark or orange! I did go to bootcamp in the Marines in ‘93 and my ears were dark brown for months after that!! I go to the Derm tommorow, I’ll write if there’s anything to tell later.

• Julie
  Jul 25, 2007 at 1:34 pm

  OH MAN! I went to the Derm Dr yesterday and she took one look at me and said most of it was from SUN DAMAGE!! I was dumb-found and couldn’t believe it!! I even have always shielded my face from the sun in the car for Pete’s sake when I was a teenager- just because I’ve always been told to take care of it when you’re younger and then I get nailed with this?!
  Anyhow, she gave me Tri-Luma and now I have 2 samples to last about 4wks or so. I’m going to try it and see what happens, already half of it disappeared with the Oil of Olay Definety product so maybe this other stuff will take care of it. The Tri Luma is about $100-$135 for a small tube. I’ll write more on what happens with this product in a few weeks.

• Tracee
  Jul 25, 2007 at 1:44 pm

  You know you really feel bad about your appearance when when a small tube costing $135 “doesn’t sound so bad.”

  Is this Tri-Luma photosensitive? Will it burn if I go to the pool and wear sunscreen.

  I can believe that my problem is sun damage. I have spent much of my life thinking laying out was cool. Cause you know I thought 30 was old and I would never even be 30 and no one whose 30 cares about what they look like anyway. Stupid me. Besides it’ll probably never happen to me. Right? Stupid, Stupid me.

  I feel so bad for you if you always tried to do the right thing with your skin and you still got stuck with this. Keep us updated and thanks Julie!

  Tracee

• elvira
  Jul 27, 2007 at 10:21 pm

  i ve had skin discoloration above my lip area that looks horrible like a mustache ,i tried everything and spent lots of money i finally went to the dermatologist hoping to have a laser treatment as a last resort .i got the info. but found out that it would be very expensive and that the melasma would come back .while i was there i bought a sunscreen and a skin lightening cream,called HQ+ bearberry (hydroquinone usp,4%) i didnt use it immediatly because i thought it would be just like the other creams,but a few days ago out of desperation i started applying to my problem area and it worked great you cant really tell that the melasma is still there i got my self esteem back and i feel better than ever.at first it will form like a scab which you can remove with a microderbrasion scrub it irritaded my skin very little but during the day you can put a soothing lotion on .i think its rx only so youll have to get it from a dermatologist .

• Sarah
  Aug 14, 2007 at 5:50 am

  I started by getting skin discoloration above my lip, looks like a mustache, and it has gradually moved to spots (big and small) all over my face. I think it was from using birth control which I didn’t figure out until it was too late but I’m off of it now.
  My mom had pregnancy mask when me and my brother were born so I’m no sure if that made me more pron to getting it.
  I really can’t stand even looking in the mirror sometimes and want to get this under control. Have any of you heard of Meladerm or Lierec? I’m a
  little nervous about using a photosensitive product because I’m out in the sun quite a bit.
  I’ve been to dermatologists and have gotten prescriptions for a few different creams but nothing that really worked that great.
  I’m nervous to think about getting pregnant because who knows what my face will look like then.

• Tracee
  Aug 14, 2007 at 9:51 am

  Sarah,

  I think the key to your problem is right in your post. You’re in the sun a lot. Are you protecting your face from the sun with serious sun screen, including the new type that blocks an AVA ray? Are you wearing hats with visors to keep your face in the shade?

  From what I’ve read and from what others report pregnancy and birth control pills are part of the problem, but the real majorly controllable part is sun damage.

  I hate that they were right about my face and all that tanning I did, but looks like now I’m paying the consequences for not paying attention to all that flack about staying out of the sun and using sunscreen. Whether it’s caused by sun damage or pregnancy - probably a combination of both - it definately looks way worse if I am exposed to any sun at all. One day out in the sun, even with SPF 30 or 50 is enough to make my spots way darker. Taking my kids to the pool for an hour with sunscreen makes it look darker for several days. Making me look forward to fall when I’ll have less reason to be in the sun.

  I’m going to buy a big sunhat and wear it unapoligetically.

• Carrie
  Aug 29, 2007 at 4:49 pm

  Hi Everyone,

  I’ve been wandering around the planet with a dark patch on my upper lip now for about five years. I’m pretty certain it was a combination the Pill paired with extreme stress. In the past year, I have gone off the Pill and changed my lifestyle dramatically, but it’s still hanging around. I do believe it is directly related to my hormone levels, especially stress.

  I’ve avoided using any prescription creams or anything with hydroquinone because i really wonder what will happen to that patch of skin on my face. The last thing I want is for it to get worse! I’ve tried a variety of non-HQ creams and lotions but nothing has worked just yet.

  I’m really holding out for a more ‘inside-out’ approach for this ailment we all deal with day-to-day. It can really be an awful thing to deal with. I’ve had so many sad, frustrating moments in front of the mirror. It seem so silly to be so concerned about something so benign, but as we all know, it can be pretty damaging to our self-esteem.

  I’ll let you all know if and when I find something that works. The best things I’ve learned from my research is to take lots of anti-oxidants and MSM which basically increases cell production and ideally reduces the skin shading.

  Let’s keep hoping for a melasma miracle, ladies!

  :) Carrie

• Tracee
  Aug 29, 2007 at 6:16 pm

  Carrie,

  You made me super-grateful to have my melasma mostly on my cheeks and forehead rather than on my upper lip.

  I bought a ball cap to wear over my forehead when I’m in the sun. I’m going to try the hydroblahblahblah in a couple of weeks and then I’ll update the effects.

• Carrie
  Aug 29, 2007 at 7:22 pm

  Tracee,

  Forehead and cheeks is nothing! :) Just remember to keep yourself covered and be careful with the HQ, it makes you ultra photosensitive.

  -c

• Tracee
  Sep 10, 2007 at 10:25 am

  I’ve been thinking about it and when it covered my whole face I just looked like I had a tan. It’s worse now that it faces and looks spotty.

  I’m trying these SkinCeuticals samples someone gave me. It says it’s Botanical Gel for Hyperpigmentation. Check back on Blog Fabulous regularly, because I’ll report whether it works or not. Day 2 is looking hopeful.

• Marie
  Oct 2, 2007 at 5:11 pm

  I hate melasma… I had a Pixel Laser Treatment done and the Dr applied a bleaching cream as he was doing the procedure. It did help to lighten the spots on my face. Now I use 2 products morning and night, Solage, a bleaching solution and Vivier Serum 20, a Vitamin C 20% solution. Thirdly is my SUNBLOCK. I’m using a SPF 60 and I have been reading up on sublock and they are saying a 30+ is just as effective. I’m also waiting to hear from a company that sells a product called UV NATURAL, It originates out of Australia I think. I’m hoping there is a SUNBLOCK that can allow us to go in the sun without having a nervous breakdown. I’m in my 40’s and in the past year melasma has made an appearance in my life. I want to be able to travel to hot spots and enjoy life. Hoping that at least with sunblocks and other products that we can keep the spots from darkening with some sun exposure.

• Julie
  Oct 9, 2007 at 10:24 am

  It has been a while now since I’ve put a message on here. I was glad though to hear that I am not the only one that looks like they have a mustache! I didn’t realize though that it was my skin, not the hair folicoles under it or something like that! I started using my Tri Luma cream and it has lightened. I have used it every night now for about a month and a half and it has lightened quite a bit. I still have the darker spot on my one cheek but it just looks like freckles or something. I had 2 tiny bottles that were samples from the derm and I still have 1/2 of one of those left, so I didn’t even have to pay $125 for the full bottle at the pharmacy! I am still using the Oil of Olay cream the ‘Definity’ kind and I think with the Tri Luma at night with just a light application and I only use it on the problem areas to save the cream and with the Oil of Olay in the morning- it is about 90% gone now. Has anyone else besides Tracee tried the Oil of Olay product? My mom put it on her brown spots on her arms and we noticed a difference in the tone in just one week! We are so pleased with the Oil of Olay Definity cream. We got it for $7 a bottle b/c the store made an error in pricing and we didn’t know until we went to another store to buy it at about $27, but either way it would have been 100% worth it! how do we post pics on this site? is it possible?

• Carrie
  Oct 9, 2007 at 10:45 am

  One thing to keep in mind…anything that includes hydroquinone can be potentially cancer-causing and can mess w/ your adrenal function. It’s banned in most of Europe and Japan. Ugh!

  -c

• Julie
  Oct 9, 2007 at 2:23 pm

  Wow, I did not know that. I have only enough for another week or so- and I don’t think the Oil of Olay product has any of that hydroquinone in there.
  Thanks for the heads up!

• Tracee
  Oct 10, 2007 at 6:13 am

  Is there anything that is not cancer-causing? Doesn’t it seem everything we do carries some strange deadly risk?

  I got this stuff called Skin Ceuticals that lightened the spots a great deal. It’s about $47.60 for a jar of it and you can get it here:

  I’ve used it for a few weeks, in combination with a hat and daily sunscreen and my spots are not nearly as noticable. They aren’t totally gone, but are drastically lighter. I hardly notice them, even without make up.

• Bringing Back The Hat
  Nov 8, 2007 at 4:01 am

  […] have a practical reason too - keeps the sun off the face. Maybe you all remember my post Can a Leapord Change Her Spots where I told you about my melasma? Well, I got quite a few comments from other women with the same […]

• donna
  Nov 9, 2007 at 3:32 pm

  i had a series of treatments from Dr. Tanya Evans in Laguna Hills, CA with a new device she purchased out of Korea, I think she said. She did a series of SpetraPeels on me and I an now free of this insidiuous condition that I have had since pregnant with my 29 year old son.

  She did say that, since melasma is hormonally driven, it could come back and I may need further treatment. I don’t care. I’m happy just to look like me again after all these years and the countless other procedures and products I have tried to get rid of it.

  Dr. Evans is my personal miracle worker.

• Mitzi
  Nov 18, 2007 at 12:29 pm

  Hello Ladies!
  I’m new to this blog thing and don’t know where to start! So far, I have gathered lots of good points and validation to my frustration with this stinking Melasma!
  I am 32, caucasian, fair, have never been pregnant, hardly ever go in the sun, am not on any birth control and haven’t been on it in 10 years, was never a sun worshiper and have bad melasma. I have used skinceuticals phyto+, TriLuma, Phaze 13, Ma Ma lotion, Obagi 20% and pretty much every other “promise” under the beloved sun. The best luck I had was with the TriLuma, HOWEVER, what they don’t tell you is that it can only be used for 3 months at a time or it WILL cause Ochronosis. When this happens, your brown spots fade and are replaced with gray spots, so you’re not really gaining anything.
  My doctor did 5 sessions of the IPL on my face which only exacerbated the problem.
  Now for my main quandry. Hydroquinone works, but only after several weeks and less than three months….as it will cause gray spots, oh! and cancer! Several weeks after I cease using anything hydroquinone based, the melasma comes right back en force! I use the Skinceuticals or Obagi to try to control it and it only does very minimal lightening. I’m so tired of looking 10-15 years older than I actually am and dirty at that! I am and have been religious about using my SPF 60 w/mexoryl and staying out of the sun. I’m literally at my wits end!!
  I take over an hour JUST for my product, another product, sunscreen, makeup, cover-up and additional mineral sunblock.
  Sorry everyone, but thank you so much for allowing me to vent. Put a fork in me, I’m done!
  I’ve heard rave reviews about “Modus”, but the line costs $700.00 and it contains many ingredients that I’ve already tried.
  Anybody have a lot of money and want to do research with me on Melasma versus Vitiligo? With our modern technology, I don’t see why we can’t swap cells so they can gain pigment back and we can get rid of ours!!! Some day hopefully.
  Anyhoo, after all my ramblings, I would be ever so grateful for any and all input for anything that helps this crazy condition. Peace out!

• Tracee
  Nov 19, 2007 at 6:47 am

  Mitzi,

  I can empathize with your situation. It sounds like you’ve spent a great deal of time and money looking for an even skin tone.

  I would advise not spending any more money or time until real advances are made. Spending more money now would just be self-defeating. It sounds like you really have tried everything.

  I know it sounds crazy - but to save your own sanity could you fall in love with your skin in your current condition? Or at least accept it?

  That said, maybe you could try some products for roseatia (redness)? Potatos have a lightening agent in them and have been used for dark circles under the eyes. Also vitamin E. I would look at more natural products at this stage in your fight against melasma.

  Does the hydrocoinine really cause cancer if used for more than 3 months? Holy Crap. Evenly toned skin is NOT worth that. Grey spots are not an improvement over brown that’s for sure.

• Mitzi
  Nov 19, 2007 at 10:00 am

  Hi Tracee and thank you for your input. I really do appreciate a sincere and sympathetic person!
  Trust me, I do not want to sound ungrateful for the skin that I have been given. I realize that there are worse conditions that I could be afflicted with. As far as loving the skin I have? It is very difficult for me. Some days I would love to just put on sunblock and be “fresh faced”, but I cannot. I look dirty, aged and for lack of better words, like a cow wet farted on my face. I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that there is nothing that can be done for this! This is why I’m entertaining going back to school to pursue the aesthetic side or dermatology. :o)
  I have tried every natural, homeopathic remedy as well. I’ve made it my mission! Some things do work much better than others, but it takes lots and lots of time and does minimal lightening. Even though I’m pretty much a vampire, use high and complete protection spf, 10 minutes in the sun (with protection!) can undo months and months of progress.
  As far as hydroquinine is concerned, European studies have been conducted determining that it should be considered a carcinogen. Enough said for me. Sad that the most effective ingredient has such a bad side effect. :o(
  My quest will continue and once I come across or accidentally discover something that truly works, I will shout it out to the world from every mountain top I can find!
  Thanks again for your kind words and support!

• Julie
  Nov 19, 2007 at 3:03 pm

  I’ve used the Tri Luma for about 8 wks and when the sample tubes ran out I stopped using it. It’s been a few weeks now and either I’m going completely nuts or…. it is coming back!!
  Everyone was telling me how fresh I looked and I had ‘Peaches and Cream’ skin (I kid you not) - but now it seems as though it’s starting to come back. I’ve never let the sun on my face , ever and I’m only 33. Never a pimple -nothing at all wrong with me and then pow, 6 months pregnant and the mask surfaces! I thought I could just be careful and not go in the sun- but like everyone says, you can’t use the product for too long. At least the Oil of Olay stuff seems to be working on my face and my mom’s brown spots on her arms are still lightening after all these months of using it. Maybe I WILL have to just settle in about my new skin. After all, it does seem like I’m the only person it bothers! The rest of the world doesn’t even seem to notice it at all! That just goes back to what I’ve learned in high school ‘why should I worry about the way that I look, everyone else is so busy worrying about themselves and the way that THEY look!- they never noticed anyhow’!

• Marie
  Nov 19, 2007 at 8:50 pm

  Hi all… I have found this Sun Screen called UV Natural . This company can be found at http://www.uvnaturalusa.com. I e-mailed Dr. Tony Kovacs, President of UV Natural out of California asking him if this sun block was effect for people with Melasma and he e-mailed back saying that the companies sale director has Melasma and with the use of this product she has had tremendous results and has not seen her melasma resurface. He also stated that the feed back he has received from people with melasma has been very good. He recommends that if out in the sun the re-application of sun screen should be every 2 hours. He said that with the use of UV Natural sun screen that it doesn’t seem to increase the pigmantation but in fact reduces the melasma over time. He did state that he isn’t touting UV Natural as a cure for melasma but it certainly reduces the aggravation of it by the sun. I have been using the product for 1 month. Needless to say summer is over in this part of the world. Check the web site and read up on the product. You can e-mail him direct and on the web site he has his phone numbers and even his cell phone. I did phone and he answers the phone himself. I also found another web site, http://www.melasma-tab.com. I have just received my order of these tablets. Haven’t used them yet. Has anyboby else heard of any of these products? Any feed back would be great.

• Tracee
  Nov 20, 2007 at 9:40 am

  Ladies, because melasma does reoccur - and I know what you’re talking about. If I am at the pool with the kids - even smothered in spf 50 - my spots are way darker.

  I’m wearing a hat! And sunscreen and using the lightening cream. I wrote about it here. http://www.blogfabulous.com/bringing-back-the-hat

  To shift the paradigm maybe we should DARKEN the white spots versus lightening the brown spots. I read an article once that said an actress used self-tanning lotions to cover the melasma.

  I must confess that I did try this once. And a friend of mine said, “What happened to your face?” And not in a good way. So maybe this method translates well on film for the actress, but not in person.

  But, to keep this in perspective, another friend told me about a make-up that covers the giant raspberry birthmark that covers half her face. And I’ve also ran into women with a lot of scarring from burns on thier faces.

  Melasma is not the *worst* thing to have happen to a face.

  You’re probably more beautiful than you give yourself credit for.

  Mitzy - I think eventually (probably not too far off) they will find a cure. But, until they do perhaps we’ve spend enough money.

• Mitzi
  Nov 21, 2007 at 11:03 am

  Hello again lovely Ladies!

  I see a recurring issue in some of our entries. I’m wondering if using lightening products containing hydroquinone temporarily work, yet make the affected skin more succeptible to further darkening. My skin looks almost translucent when I use one of these products but once I stop, the patches get darker and almost seem to get bigger!
  I wanted to ask Corrin about the horomone tests. How do they conduct this testing? Blood? Saliva? I had a blood test and it didn’t show anything out of the ordinary. A friend of mine said a saliva test will show much more for the horomones (where you spit in different cups over the course of a week) and may help correct the problem on that end. Not quite sure why we have to heckle and fight to get some of these tests.
  Julie, I’m buying the Olay Definity today. I’m hoping it will give some relief. No hydroquinone, yay!
  Marie, I’m looking up the two websites that you posted right now. Thank you so much for the helpful information!
  There are lots of products out there that help mask this condition, but they too come with their downsides. :o( I’ve tried bare escentuals, but it settles throughout the day so I end up getting that Queen Elizabeth look. The Dermablend foundation goes on like epoxy but as the day goes on, looks like a glob and slips off. Oh, and lets not forget that it settles into lines and pores and looks hideous. This could be due to my skin type though….combination, yet due to my product and sunblock, I have to blot halfway through the day or I look like I dipped my face into a vat of oleo.
  Thus far, I start off with either Skinceuticals Phyto +, CE with Ferulic acid or (Targets) Boots Renewal #7, followed by SPF 60 w/Mexoryl. I then mix Clarins true radiance foundation with equal parts Clarins multi matte foundation. I cover the still visible spots with Estee Lauders double wear concealer (which is awesome!). I finish by setting it with minimal pressed powder, applied with a brush and finish it up applying Coloresciences clear mineral SPF powder.
  Granted this all is very obsessive and takes a long time to do, but I do end up looking like I have flawless skin. I just hate that it takes so long!
  Thank you everybody again for allowing me to have my gripefest. This does actually help me to feel better about myself. :o) Have a wonderful day!
  P.S. Tracee, you are so right. This is a lucrative money maker for people selling wonder products. I hope they give up soon and just fix it, as we’ve all exhausted plenty of time and money.

• Jasmin
  Nov 21, 2007 at 9:28 pm

  Ladies,
  I have a sister with vitiligo, thought I had ‘late onset’ vitiligo, then finally figured it is melasma. From everything I’ve read, the best option sounds like sunscreen and acceptance, but I did read an article in the telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2005/10/31/efbeauty29.xml which recommends b vitamins and may be helpful to you all.

• Tracee
  Nov 22, 2007 at 8:47 am

  Holy Crap Mitzi, Are you spending $200 a month on products to appear to have flawless skin? And the time involved. . .

  No one is flawless Mitzi. I have a friend whose skin is so pretty I find it difficult to concentrate on what she’s saying.

  It’s the freckles and random spots - probably what she considers to be flaws - that keep me in a trance. They seem so beautifully spontaneous and they contrast with her skin in a delightful way. Plus, I truly enjoy her company which makes her seem more beautiful to me.

  It sounds to me like this is really effecting your self esteem. I hope that you are not looking at yourself in the mirror and telling yourself how ugly your skin is.

  Telling yourself how ugly you are makes you feel uglier. Telling yourself how pretty your are makes you feel prettier.

  Try this, it works. Look in the mirror and repeat: “I am as lovely as any woman.”

  There are very few truly ugly people in the world. I doubt that you are one of them. Melasma will probably resurface for the rest of your life, you definately shouldn’t let skin ruin your self esteem though and that’s a heck of a lot of money to spend on products and make-up. Please tell me you’re not charging all that stuff!

• Mitzi
  Nov 22, 2007 at 10:16 am

  Tracee,
  Oh! I certainly never meant to sound so ungrateful! It’s a double edged sword. Yes I’m very fortunate and I DO NOT tell myself that I am ugly. I probably spend too much time and product because I remember when I had absolutely flawless skin and I keep thinking I can get it back!
  I admire people who embrace this condition, yet strive to find new means of conquering it. I feel that my face is my representation,the first thing people see and, in some cases, superficially judge me by. Though I don’t put much weight into what they think, I’m hard on myself and just don’t want to look splotchy. :o)
  No Tracee, I don’t charge this stuff. I’m sort of a product junkie anyways.
  I think I will see a homeopath and get their opinion. I like how they try to fix things from the inside out, instead of the reverse. I’m also going to get horomone testing done, as I am absolutely POSITIVE the culprit is them being so out of whack.
  People say sun mostly affects melasma and I know it definitely exacerbates the problem, but mine is strictly internal since I’m hardly ever in the sun.
  I’ll keep reading the wonderful posts you gorgeous ladies put up. It intrigues me, gives me insight and I thoroughly enjoy them.
  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everybody! :o)

• Tracee
  Nov 22, 2007 at 10:36 am

  Well I’m glad to hear it Mitzi. Keep us posted - it sounds like you might be the most experimental of the bunch, so let us know which experiments work and which do not (that will save the rest of us some money at least).

  Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

• Karen
  Dec 16, 2007 at 11:35 pm

  I hate our problem but it is very nice to know that I am not alone with this damned melasma. My older sister became an esthetician when I was in highschool twenty years ago and always schooled me on the importance of sunscreen and good skin care. I always had the best but scarred easily so my doctor put me on hydroquinone which I used for over 16 years. I have adrenal issues and very bad melasma that I feel very stongly is due to the constant HQ. Ladies please find another solution as HQ is totally toxic and doesn’t provide a permanent solution and ends up making the problem worse. I know it’s very hard not to try every product out there but when you see hydroquinone, put it down and buy a pretty eye shadow or new lipstick instead. I’m working on creating a healthy makeup to help with the coverage if that’s all that can be done. If you are having a coverage problem, try mixing Sonja Kashuk (from Target in 3 shades) tinted moisurizer with your favorite mineral powder. I have olive tan skin and I love Jane cosmetics (very inexpensive at Walgreens) pressed mineral powder in sandstone. The moisturizer has spf 15 but it also has a very subtle gold glow so it helps to hide the spots, plus mineral powder is very gentle on the skin and also has a natural sunscreen. Hope this helps and I hope that our safe cure is here tomorrow!

• Happy Peterson
  Jan 4, 2008 at 8:54 pm

  These comments are really interesting. The product line that I believe in–based on science and self experience (for over 2 years and I have medical photo’s to prove it) is one mentioned–but discounted because of cost, which is MODUSSKINCARE.com. Who here wants to be a test client? All that would be required is a commitment to compliance (twice a day application), a daily application of sun screen and a few days to acclimate and accept irritation and/or changes in skin when initially starting a MODUS regimen? We are only physician dispensed, but we have staff at MODUSSKINCARE.com that can formulate a customized regimen for 30 days to see what kind of results you can achieve. But know a few things. Face/skin care is a daily requirement. One cannot occasionally nourish skin cells. Vitamins, amino acids and anti-oxidants must be applied and removed twice daily to counteract the bombardment of free radicals, aging and genetics. Additionally, one must understand that chemicals are inexpensive, botanicals and imports from organic growers in the EU and abroad are not. Our system is reasonable when evaluated on the ingredient list and when a patient sees the results that can come from using the system precisely. Less make up is used and no other moisturizers are needed daily. Freeing up expenses from those items in one’s budget can actually be a bonus. MODUS is not for the consumer with a tight budget–as more botanicals become organic and more available we hope that will be the case, but note-it is reasonable for the consumer seeking the best in anti-aging and achieving skin’s best health. Please contact me, Happy Peterson, PR Director at MODUS or go on line to learn more about MODUS which is beginning to win over physicians, scholars and patients alike. We want to be your skin care company.

• Helen
  Jan 5, 2008 at 3:16 am

  Hi there.

  I have had the ugly melasma condition for 3 years now since I had my son, I am so down I am at breaking point. I have been to see numerous dermatologists all for them to fobb you off and suggest laser treatment and use the hydroquinone cream which I have since found out in not safe. oNE OF THE TOP DERMATOLOGIST told me to use this cream IN 4percent strength and said i should use it for life once a week. (The dermatologist who prescibed me with this cream makes me feel angry that he suggesting I continue to use it surely knowing that it has been banned in the Uk.

  I have had lasers, chemical peels and have not been out of the house for 6months my life is a total mess, my husband has to look after my son my life is one big mess. I am fed up of people trying to say oh lasers work, chemical peels work they are all untrue what I want is the truth What does work then get rid of all the other things like lasers and creams which do not help melasma. I need help with the condition because it is destroying my life.

  I am only 34 and I wont go out the house until there is a cure my face is one big mess. If there are any dermatologist out there who no what they are talking about and can 100% get rid of my melasma then I want to hear from you.

• Carrie
  Jan 5, 2008 at 9:27 am

  I know a lot of us have been where you are - hang in there!

  Personally, I know the feeling of not wanting to leave the house, feeling incredibly unfeminine, embarrassed, irritated, etc, etc. 100% understandable.

  The only thing that has truly worked for my stubborn melasma (caused by the pill) has been decreasing my stress levels as much as possible. My melasma is certainly not gone, but now it is easily covered up and most people would never notice anyway. I notice that it fluctuates in it’s darkness depending on my period and stress levels.

  Getting worked up and worried about your melasma is easy. That’s the catch 22. You stress, it gets worse. It gets worse, you stress. Try to let it go a bit and relax as often as you can. Decreasing stress = decreasing the hormone levels of testosterone in your system which will also (hopefully) decrease the melasma.

  I wish you the best of luck. I know it’s not much of a consolation, but remember that there are many women out there who feel or have felt just like you!

• Tracee
  Jan 5, 2008 at 9:32 am

  Helen, your comment breaks my heart. It sounds like melasm has taken on an exagerated importance in your life. I’m very concerned for you.

  I have written Moduss Skin Care on your behalf in the hopes that you’ll benefit from being a test client. Of course, that’s conditional on you being interested.

  Hopefully we’ll here back soon.

  Tracee

• Mitzi
  Jan 5, 2008 at 12:33 pm

  Hello again lovely Ladies!

  Just checking in to see updates. I reread some of my previous entries. Though I am agitated by the condidtion, I didn’t realize how postal I sounded! Sorry! I thoroughly enjoy reading everybodys’ entries and knowing that we have insight and capabilities to help each other out.
  I was planning on buying the Modus program, as a Christmas present for myself, but ran out of money. It’s cool. I’ll get another chance. I’m much happier watching those I love open presents than feeling guilty about spending the money on myself.
  I have come to several realizations about my skin in the recent past. I cannot remember who said it, but stress is a MAJOR contributing factor to the severity of your melasma. Stress DOES increase the horomones that WILL make your patches darker. So for those of you who haven’t seen a doctor or homeopath to get your horomone levels checked, at least control your stress levels and wear sunscreen EVERY DAY, YEAR ROUND.
  Now, dealing with the “already there” junk. I have realized that my skin is not sensitive, but EXTREMELY tempermental. If I am very aggressive with treatment, my skin revolts and gets much worse. I do advocate exfoliating at least once a week, just don’t overdo it.
  Something I have done recently that my skin adores (and is lightening up!) is combining natural ingredients in camellia oil and putting it on every night. Regardless of your skin type, the camellia oil is like silk and is absorbed by morning.
  For those of you lucky enough to have an Ebay spending problem like me, check out this sellers store…

  http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZskinactives

  They provide basic, no nonsense ingredients that you can make your own concotions with at very reasonable prices. They were even featured in Elle Magazine!
  I purchase the ingredients that have an impact on skin discolorations such as kojic acid, arbutin, licorice extract, niacinamide, etc. and mix it in the camellia oil. I think the reason it has been effective is because the oil is very soothing on the skin and penetrates something fierce! It is relatively inexpensive and lasts quite a while. I combine just enough to last for a couple of weeks and then make more. Anyone interested in any more detail specifics regarding this, let me know and I’d be happy to share.
  Good luck to all and I look forwad to reading your entries. Thank you so much for the hope, compassion and insight you all share!!

• Jennifer
  Jan 5, 2008 at 5:43 pm

  Sooo…. I am new to this message board and wanted to post my thoughts to all of those suffering from the condition known as melasma!! I am 26 years old with oily/acne prone skin and have suffered from melasma for the past 2 years. I don’t know if it was from birth control, stress, or even the sunburns I got from vacationing to Hawaii.. or better yet a combination from all of these factors!! I have tried olay, vitamin E, obagi, retin-a, murad, skin success, I could go on and on..lol. my melasma is on my upper lip and looks like a permanent mustache and I also have dark brown patches on my cheekbones… I have always been very confident with myself until I got this skin condition and although it was very embarrassing I have learned to cope with it and treat it as best as I can. Although my melasma hasn’t fades completely it has lightened significantly with these products and I am gaining
  back my confidence back :)))) Out of all of the products that I have tried this regimen has done ABSOLUTE WONDERS ON MY FACE!!!!! I HOPE it works as well for you guys as it has for me!!! So literally a few days ago I was shopping and came across a store called LUSH which specializes in all natural hand made products.. I took them home and tried what I had boughten and SERIOUSLY noticed a difference in my skin w/in a few days!!! So here is my regimen along with the products that I use ( sorry for all of the run-on sentences.. i am just so excited to share all of this with you) So I wash my face in the A.M. and p.m with the ocean salt cleanser… its very weird.. it has sea water..lol and sea salt along with other natural ingredients.. I use it for about a min. concentrating on my cheeks and upper lip where my melasma is!!! Again, my skin is oily and acne prone so I wouldn’t recommend it on dry or sensitive skin!!! Than after I am done cleansing I apply the ENZYMION moisturizer and WALLA I am done!! The one quote I will remember from the sales associate is “treat your skin right, and take care of it.” It is VERY ironic because I was doing lactic, glycolic peels ANDDDD I tried prescription as well as over the counter products and NOTHING worked!!! I still had my ugly MELASMA skin!!! Than I try these funky products and I noticed a difference in my skin IN A FEW DAYS??? ARE you kidding me!!! I was spending hundreds and hundreds and HUNDREDs of dollars on my skin and I spent 50 bucks and my melasma is FINALLY breaking apart!!! I think we spend money on these products because they are expensive but we don’t think about the chemicals in them and what they coulld do to our skin later on. I guess it is a blessing though because if I wasn’t willing to try anything and everything I would have NEVER stumbled upon this!! BTW not only has my MELASMA faded ALOT my acne scars that I have had for years have disappeared and MY CRATER PORES are MUCH SMALLER :)))))))))

• Jennifer
  Jan 5, 2008 at 5:51 pm

  OH I forgot!!!! I WOULD NOT suggest TRILUMA.. it took a while to kick in when I used it last year and it made my skin very thin, and almost transparent!!!! You could see my blood vessels!!! ALSO I drink ALOTTTT of water :))) GOOD LUCK YOU GUYS!!!

• Tracee
  Jan 5, 2008 at 9:32 pm

  Jennifer - You didn’t say the name of the brand you tried. Can you leave us a link?

• Jasmin
  Jan 5, 2008 at 10:36 pm

  Hi Guys - try http://www.lush.com to get to your countries listing, I’ll pop down to our one tomorrow! Lush is the brand and the store - they make all of their stock themselves, and it is superb, the bath bombs are great. America is http://www.usa.lush.com and I think you can order online. I have to recommend the oatmeal face mask, however, you can only get it in a store because it is perishable.
  Good Luck :-)

• Jasmin
  Jan 5, 2008 at 10:41 pm

  Oh also - for acne, I’ve found colloidal silver gel has *really* helped to sort it out a lot - it may be difficult to source, try your local healthfood type of store. I’m considering trying the liquid colloidal silver as a supplement also, you can apply that directly or take a teaspoon or so a day.

• Helen
  Jan 6, 2008 at 4:35 am

  Tracee,

  Thanks for spending the time to read my message, this condition really is effecting my life and I wish someone would help me because my life is ruined at this moment in time.

  Could you please explain what Moduss Skin Care is? if it benefits me then yes I will give you consent to put me forward for this trial.

  What happens do i just wait to see what happens? would you like my email address?

• Jen
  Jan 6, 2008 at 12:35 pm

  Hey.. sorry about that you guys!!! I guess Jasmine already left the link for LUSH!!! PLease go try this stuff … It is my 5th day using this stuff and I can’t stop looking @ myself because my skin hasn’t looked this good in so very long :))) I got these products while shopping in SAn Francisco but you can get them online.. you go to their website and it gives descriptions of the products and what they can do for you!! I am using ONLY 2 THINGS… the ocean scrub and the ENZYMION moisturizer :))) Before my skin looked like an abstract because I had such dark patches of brown skin now it is actually starting to blend in to my own skin tone… I actually forgot what it looked like under my melasma!!

• Violet
  Jan 7, 2008 at 2:40 pm

  Do NOT use colloidal silver. It can turn your skin permanently blue. Check out this story:

  http://www.boingboing.net/2007/12/20/another-person-turns.html

• Helen
  Jan 11, 2008 at 4:10 am

  Tracee did you get my msg?

• Tracee
  Jan 11, 2008 at 2:10 pm

  Um, not sure Helen. I sent you an email - but I got it back undeliverable. Haven’t heard back from Happy Peterson at Moduss yet.

• Helen
  Jan 12, 2008 at 3:25 am

  Tracee,

  Had to change my email use simmy192003@yahoo.co.uk.

  Hows your melasma and do you have lots of it?

  Used the lush but it does dry your skin no good for me I need oils in my skin.

• Amanda
  Jan 24, 2008 at 4:40 pm

  Hi melasma girls! I suffer from the moustache made MUCH worse by hydroquinone/tri luma followed by about 4 minutes of unprotected sun exposure in LA sun. Oops! I struggle with self esteem and really hate wearing makeup but… keeping things in perspective. I have also blown a ton of cash on products that kinda work but dont and have found only one thing that actually makes the melasma disappear. Concealer! I use this amazing pink stuff from Bobbi Brown called Corrector. It’s kind of expensive but her whole deal is the natural skin look so if you do all the steps you look made up from very close up but kind of natural at about 3 feet. I know it’s not ideal but if you need to feel good- this stuff (and a few layers of other stuff) makes you look like you did at 16. Go by the counter at the mall and have the salespeople spackle you & you’ll see what I mean. Be sure to stress that you want a natural look- I went in SF and wound up with a fake tan that made Jessica Simpson look pasty.

  Corrector

• Lilybeth
  Jan 30, 2008 at 6:57 pm

  It is interesting to read about melasma problems. I have been a sufferer of it since I was 31 years old.I am now 46. I blamed it from a contraceptives I used before.since then it never went away. It worsen overtimes. Tried everything possible. My other sisters also suffered from it. Also used a contraceptive before. We are of asian decent. Anyhow to make the story short I did tried all prescriptions, and creams available in the market. And I always careful with the sun and uses sunscreen. Then my sister came across a magic cream made under the banner of KSA (kingdom of Saudi Arabia) it did work for for a total of two years. Lightened my melasma but returned last summer with vengeance. i also blamed myself for exposing my self from the sun but can’t helped it because i drive. and summer can be very harsh on the skin. anyhow I was so desperate as my make up can’t covered it up. I went to try idebenone peel by priori and all its regimen. Very expensive and the result was devastating.It did not lighten my melasma but making it worst. i went back to magic cream and now it lightened but for how long.I am using this enzymion with my magic cream and I am also taking Vit. E, C and pycnocenol pills. My melasma lightened a lot at the moment. My friends noticed it a lot now. They always notice my face getting lighter or darker makes me mad. But I don’t know really if there is a medicine forever to get rid of it. I am spending a lot. But I have only one face.
  For my make up if u have a lighter melasma. FX coverage is quite good. It is from Canada. Concealer by mac called Studio blend I think is good at concealing. That made my self esteem a little better. i still use make-up as melasma is still there but can be really covered better for now. Some of your stories are so inspiring. let’s just keep on hoping. I just hope the melasma will soon get tired of me.
  lilybeth

• Natasha
  Feb 2, 2008 at 5:11 pm

  Hi was just reading through all the comments and just to say I have melasma on my forehead around the top of eyebrowa upper lip and cheeks and i hate it i have had it since i was 22 i have had 6 laser treatment recently which are very very painful and cant noice a differnce i have tried evry bleaching cream and paid hundreds on make up i get so paranoid when people stare at it has anyone got any good make up tips for me.

• lilybeth
  Feb 4, 2008 at 7:57 am

  About that LUSH product Enzymion, after few days of using it, I got a lot of acne break-outs. so, I stopped using it. I guess every product has a different reactions to our skin. I am still taking Pycnogenol, Vit. E and C as part of internal regimen. So,far my melasma still well covered by my make-up. Anything else new for Melasma?

• Paulette
  Feb 5, 2008 at 12:54 pm

  I am also suffering from the pregnancy Mask or melasma. I am 28 yrs old and have been a firm believer in taking care of my face and my skin for years. I am sure that when I was younger I did not wear the sunblock like we should but starting from 16 on I was a sunblock wearing girl! My melasma comes from my birth control. I have been to the Derm and gotten products and they work for a while then it comes back…I have not found a good solution for my skin yet. I have it over my lip (like the mustache look) and high on my cheek bones around my eyes like the mask suggests. I feel ugly and still cannot seem to accept the fact that my once very pretty skin has been lost.

  I was wondering who has tried the Modus skin care line and if it worked. I am seeing some things on here about the lush.com as well and about the oil of olay - I am not sure where to start :( …I am a little worried because I have joined the army and I am going be leaving soon for boot camp, individual training then off to Iraq. So I feel like my skin is just going to get worse. If anyone can give me some feed back on those things that I listed I would greatly appreciate it.

  Thank you!

• Carrie
  Feb 5, 2008 at 1:38 pm

  Paulette, First of all, I feel your pain as a fellow ‘upper lipper’, als from the BC pill.
  My suggestion is :

  1. Don’t try any bleaching creams or other treatments until you return since you are likely to be under a lot of stress over the next year or so and most of these approaches take a lot of trial and error.
  2. Buy some great sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Most sunscreens (even with high spf) don’t block the rays that make our melasma worse. My recommendation is:
  Photoderm MAX Crème SPF 50+
  (You can find it on Amazon and thecureshop.com) or Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55 PA+++ (you can find on sephora)
  3. Buy some great water/sweatproof makeup like bare minerals or my favorite, Becca’s concealer (which has additional spf).

  4. Go off the pill if you can! That will make a difference as well.

  With some great sun protection and makeup you can rely on, you won’t have to stress about it too much while you’re overseas and hopefully it will continue to fade. When you return, you’ll be ready to start working on finding other ways to treat it.

  And last, but certainly not least, thank you for your service in the middle east :)

• Tracee
  Feb 5, 2008 at 2:22 pm

  Carrie - thank you for your kind and considerate reply to Paulette.

  I echo your sentiments to Paulette - thanks for going to Iraq. We’re grateful to you.

  I too would stay away from photo-sensitive products before going to Iraq. But, I did see a significant decrease in my melasma with the Phyto + after only a few weeks.

  Sunscreen and a hat. Can’t advise that enough.

  I just ordered some samples of the Shiseido’s sunscreen off Ebay. Thanks for the tip Carrie.

  I’m trying the Lush products recommended - but I can’t say to what effect yet.

• Helen
  Feb 10, 2008 at 12:28 pm

  Hi Tracee,

  Hope you well! Still feeling very low but am trying to be positive it’s so hard. How bad is your melasma? mine is on my forehead, cheeks and round the eyes virtually everywhere. Hope some day there will be a cure for this nasty condition.

  Would you be so kind as to tell me how you ordered shiseido’s sunscreen samples on ebay, never used ebay so need some help.

  Thanks

• Tracee
  Feb 11, 2008 at 10:21 am

  Hi Helen, I hate to see you so upset about your melasma.

  This is only skin. It doesn’t define WHO you are - unless you let it.

  I have tried the lush products and since then a friend has said, “Your skin looks much better.”

  I have to agree the melasma is definately lighter.

  You just have to sign up for ebay and then enter the name of the product to buy it that way. You can get many products for much, much cheaper that way.

  Helen, I’m sure you’re a lovely woman. Please be kind to you.

  Tracee

• Kate
  Feb 15, 2008 at 2:19 am

  Hello Ladies,
  No new ideas for you but I am a new sufferer of melasma here to commiserate. I diagnosed mine myself - pretty easy to diagnose after I saw a few photos online. I have been on birth control pills for many years, but I am now stopping them. It may be too late for it to help, but any help for the condition I can give myself I will try. I know mine fluctuates in intensity very much from day to day, week to week. At the lightest, I have a couple of rosy patches on my cheeks that look like windburn. At the worst, it covers half of my face but is not very dark. At least not yet. I hate wearing much foundation, but it sounds like finding a good foundation may be the best route since acceptance and tolerance may be a large part of the cure.

  I have not had much luck with covering it completely with plain foundation. In my opinion, wearing other make-up such as blush and eye shadow makes it much less noticeable. Maybe it is the old illusion of distracting rather than concealing. Perhaps I should mention that I don’t have funds to invest in new concoctions right now so I am trying to make do with what I have.

  Good luck with your efforts everyone.

• JoAnne
  Feb 15, 2008 at 9:05 am

  Hi -
  My name is JoAnne & I too suffer from melasma! I have had several IPL treatments, along with prior use of Triluma & other hydraquinone (sp?) products………I too think all of this has made it worse! I am currently undergoing treatments with a product called Levulan which is expensive & doesn’t seem to be making it any better! :(
  I am 46 years old & have never worn makeup before……..I did find a few products that are not expensive & work okay by Loreal (at WalMart) True Match liquid concealer & True match super blendable powder - however I do not put the powder on with the applicator it came with I use a brush by the Jane Iredale called The Handi! Hated the make up though!
  I had anticpated getting the hydraquinone but because of everything that has been said….I WILL NOT! I just hope this make up thing will work out once the weather heats up in July/August!

• jasmin
  Feb 15, 2008 at 2:51 pm

  I’ve been finding the Avon mineral makeup is good, I’ve bought a couple of shades and mix them together to get a good shade - it just seems to be good at blurring the edges better than foundation … and I’ve stopped the colloidal silver, thanks for the info :-)

• Marie
  Feb 15, 2008 at 5:02 pm

  Hi Gals, I had a Pixel treatment last June/07. When this treatment was done, the Dr. did 2 passes on the melasma affected areas, right after the passes he applied a cream bleach to the treated areas. I must say it did lighten up the melasma considerably. All summer though I was horrified of going outside and having the sun touch my face. In late summer I found a website for a sun screen product. This sun screen is called UV Natural. It is an all natural product. You have to go to their website and read about it. http://www.uvnaturalusa.com. In January/08 I went to Mexico for a week vacation. I was really nervous about the sun and my face. I thought this melasma wasn’t going to make me a prisoner any longer. I wore my UV Natural sun screen and applied often when I was outside and in the pool. I didn’t wear a hat and spent alot of time in the sun. I did an excursion one day and couldn’t get to my sun screen to re-apply it and I must report that my melasma did get just slightly darker but nothng like it was last June before I got the Pixel treatment. I have also been using for the past month and half the 2 lush products that one of our friends had suggested. By the way I think BBL (laser) treatments make the melasma worse. I had had several BBL treatments and I’m sure that these treatments woke this monster in me. I had these treatments to clean up some sun spots from years of living. I was never a sun worshipper. Just did normal living getting sun mostly when doing yard work. Anyways I believe in this UV sun screen. The Dr. who is the president of company did e-mail me back saying that continued use of this product seems to even make the melasma fade. He has a staff member who apparently has had her melasma disappear. Just thought I’d pass this bit of info to you gals. Would love nothing more then have a happy ending for us all. By the way I’m heading back to Mexico, this time for 2 weeks. Fun in the SUN.

• Kate
  Feb 16, 2008 at 2:54 am

  It’s nice to hear of a case where the condition cleared up for someone! Mine isn’t showing any signs of going away any time soon. My cheeks started looking worse and worse last summer, and I thought I had irritation from sun and wind. Then my skin looked irritated for longer and I started thinking I had rosacea. I also wondered if I was having some kind of allergic reaction. Then the discoloration patterns started looking weirder and I was starting to fear that I had vitiligo. But in researching vitiligo, I discovered that I don’t have that, but the melasma describes my condition perfectly. I am in a way relieved that I don’t have cancer or vitiligo, but also worried about having a condition that is chronic.

  I also am not in the habit of wearing make-up either - just a little bit for color on some occasions. I’m not looking forward to making a habit of wearing it regularly, but what else is to be done? I’m not comfortable going out without attempting to tone it down. I’ve been trying to go without makeup and keep my face clean at home however.

  Question for you all: Does your skin feel sensitive and irritated more when you have melasma?

  I can’t figure out if it is causing my skin irritation, or if I have some kind of irritation/allergy going on that is making the melasma worse.

• Corrin
  Feb 16, 2008 at 10:19 am

  Hello everyone, I can’t remember if I mentioned this before or not but I did have a clinical peel called Cosmelan that significantly lightened melasma. The only downside is that it is expensive and you basically need to have 2 weeks where you aren’t doing anything. From what I recall it had to stay on my face for about 10 hours ( it looks like a mustard paste), I then looked like I had the worst sunburn for maybe 1 week - then my face peeled like a snake shedding it’s skin for another week but….. it did make a difference. I am waiting to have it done a second time but like I said you need about a 2 week window. I am not sure what the cost of this treatment is as my friend works at a clinic and the doctor gave it to her to try on me since my melasma was the worst she’s seen. I do think they are probably a few hundred dollars though. The other thing is sunscreen. I do not leave the house without an spf of 45 or higher.

• krissy
  Feb 22, 2008 at 11:32 am

  i have melasma.big brown spot on my cheek and it was there after my second child.maybe because your first child your not as stressed as when u have your second child.i had the ipl laser treatments.5 of them.nothing.no change.i have did all the creams.hydroquinone does cause cancer. not good.i even tried putting bleach that you use to bleach your hairs.nothing.all these doctors i think really dont know what there talking about.no sun no sun.maybe the one thing that will work is the sun.maybe they tell us no sun cause they know if we go in the sun(which is vitamin d and good for u)it will fix the problem and that means no more money on all this crap that we waste tons of money on.they wont make any more money.i havent tried it yet being winter and just thought about it but im going to.no sunscreen.just plan natural sun.hey at least our faces will be brown from the sun and the brown spots will blend in.and what clears acne?sun

• Corrin
  Feb 22, 2008 at 3:17 pm

  Krissy don’t do it! Anytime I have gone out with no sunscreen it got worse - enough worse that I could tell right away! Plus your skin will tan relative what color it already is. Dark spots will still look darker

• Helen
  Feb 24, 2008 at 4:10 am

  Krissy thats a nice name I had a friend once who was from America called Krissy.

  Please always wear suncream this is very important not only does it protect you from the sun, it will decrease your chances of getting cancer.

  I also have had IPL 4times, pixel laser, chemical peels and used hydroquinone cream which does cause cancer so anyone out there stop using it. A top dermatologist told me I could use this cream for life - how wrong is he. No one can treat this condition, I have been to the best there is, and I have been left with discoloration, face lighter than eyes and have not been out for nearly a year I wont go out my life is getting that bad that this time next year I’m not sure what will happen, I am down, low and it’s effecting everything. We need real things that work not false hopes.

• krissy
  Feb 25, 2008 at 8:48 am

  helen let me tell u this face condition is not the worst thing.i promise.i have depersonalization disorder,anieixty,depression,ocd,social anixiety,and post tramatic disorder.google depersonalization and read it.the worst thing in the world to ever have because im non existant.plus this brown crap on my face.i used to be so pretty,clear skin,clear face,no problems,and boom on day everything went to its worst.i have 2 kids though that i have to always remember or i woulnt be here today.i know its a self esteem problem and u dont like it but its better than mental problems.and if u think its a bad and ugly thing to have those spots then it will be.u have to train your mine to think its a beautiful thing and your mine will start thinking positive. and no one really pays attention to them as much as u think.everytime u say or think bad think of a postive instead.change your outlook and it will help you.i promice.and i wont go in the sun.thanks for the advice.my grandmother and mom both have skin cancers removed all the time.and we all are freakle skin type.but there has to be a fix.i know all those movie stars have gotten melasma sometime.i know they have lots of money but some dr that they use has a was to fix this.what about all the other countries that have things they do health wise that america wont do.i belive in other country methods then americas.oh yea helen im from america.georgia.helen please read the book” the secret”.it will help.please talk to someone.always think positive and your whole outlook will change.think about your son.he loves you no matter what.and who the hell cares what anybody else thinks.i would onlycare what my son and husband think.he is still there for u.oh i did get the oil of olay.tried it last night.im going to keep trying.it does make your face smooth so far.well see.i guess the only thing is to do lots of reasearch.especially in other countries because they do stuff america dont.if u have the money.

• Mitzi
  Feb 25, 2008 at 10:13 am

  I so love checking in and reading everybodys concerns and comments. It’s so uplifting to know that we have people who empathise with us due to being afflicted by this condition.
  I have my good days and my bad days like everyone else. I am a victim of advertising and test most every product that promises to lighten discoloration (minus the hydroquinone of course!). I want to clarify that it’s not just in hopes of results, but because I’m a product junkie anyways. Always have been, even before I developed melasma.
  I have total confidence in the fact that there will, one day, be a treatment and/or cure for us. Part of me wants to believe it’s a conspiracy against us because it would eliminate a lot of “wonder” products and the money they would generate.
  Based on everything available, I believe that the best assault on melasma is a fine combination of weekly exfoliating, lightening product (minus hydroquinone), sunblock and makeup best suited for your skin. It takes a lot of experimenting with makeup, but when you find the right combination, it works wonders! Sunblock makes my face oily mid day, so I mix matte foundations to level the playing field. My mother thinks that I’m crazy to invest the time and money, but it makes my face look flawless, hence I feel much better. Mission accomplished! It has become such a part of my daily routine that I hardly think of it anymore.
  Another warning my fair ladies! I’m not sure if it’s limited to me or not, but be careful with aggressive methods of treatment. Concentrations of ingredients that are too strong and tough exfoliation make my melasma much worse! Melasma is a very insidious and angry bugger! Skinceuticals Phyto+ comforts and soothes the skin while delivering brightening ingredients, making it more effective. Just a thought. Your melasma will behave much better too if you apply a soothing cream or lotion at night.
  I do realize that everyones complexion and genetic makeup vary. This is what works for me and I sooooooo look forward to continuing the reading that you ladies post.
  Thanks for the inspiration! :o)

• Helen
  Feb 25, 2008 at 11:23 am

  Krissy,

  Sorry to hear that you have depression, I also suffer from that and anxiety I never go out the house and only speak to my family. Staying in is making me so down.

  Mitzi you say with makeup you can have flawless skin, I use makeup and with my melasma never could have flawless skin, I have dark patches on my forhead cheeks and round the mouth its absolutely awful. I used to be good looking up until I had my gorgeous son, now I am ugly thats the only word to use because it’s true I feel theres nothing left inside me to carry on. A women prides herself on her beauty not me.

  Krissy which famous people have melasma, would be very interested to find that out? If they can cover it up surely we must be able to. How bad is yours and where on your face do you have it, is it noticable?

• Mitzi
  Feb 25, 2008 at 11:29 am

  Greetings Helen,

  I have big, dark patches across my forehead, on my temples, down my cheeks and my jawline. I mix two foundations to get the right effects. I wish I was smart and knew how to post pics. I would post some before and after ones.
  Also, I’m sure that you are good looking. We are our own worst enemy and critic. I loathe melasma but have found ways to work around it.

• Lushiousness for Leopards
  Feb 26, 2008 at 4:06 am

  […] got quite a passionate response to my post Can a Leopard Change Her Spots? Many women get melasma from birth control, stress and sun damage or a combination of all of the […]

• Helen
  Feb 26, 2008 at 5:03 am

  Hi Mitzi,

  What foundation do you use and where can this be purchased from? We are our own worst enemy I do agree with that! Lets hope this condition will eventually be gone for everyone who suffers from it.

  Tracee, thanks for your information, which you have shared with us all. You say you use phyto plus 30 ml is that the gel or the corrective gel theres two different ones? How often do you use this, before you go to bed - I notcied you use kids sun protection does this help with melasma? I did try the lush products, I think a few other people have given it ago, it gave me an outbreak of spots, and dried my skin to a point that it was like leather - subsequentley I had to stop using this product. It may work for others, may not, depends on your skin type. I like things which don’t clog your pores there the best.

  Are you coping with having melasma Tracee? You seem really positive wish I had your motivation and confidence. I used to be so bubbly and happy, since having this thing I hate talking about it I CALL it a thing I’m just not myself. If anyone knows of any other ways they can get rid of MELASMA please share them with us on line. Hope everyone is well.xx

• Helen
  Feb 26, 2008 at 5:08 am

  Tracee,

  Is that you on the picture above when you first log into the site?

• Tracee
  Feb 26, 2008 at 7:11 am

  Yes Helen, that is me - last summer out in the sun.

  You know how I stay positive? I tell myself that I am beautiful. I do not reduce my whole self to just skin on my face. I also have full bow lips, great cheeks, really pretty blue eyes, great arches on my eyebrows. I am beautiful with or without melasma. I forgive my imperfections and feel that beauty is something that the very young have and focus on - but it fades for everyone unless you focus on your inner beauty.

  I make a conscious effort to be kind to myself in my inner dialogue. I have been in a similar dark place as you find yourself Helen. Not over looks, but over my personal worth.

  It really is as simple as refusing to emotionally batter yourself with negative internal dialogue.

  I know if you begin to tell yourself how beautiful you are then you too will begin to feel better.

  I’m reading that A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and it is wonderful. I highly recommend it and I’m inviting all of you over to So Sioux Me to join my A New Earth Community. Oprah’s staff has invited me to lead a small group simulaneous with the online course starting in March. http://traceesioux.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-earth-community-at-so-sioux-me.html

  Helen - and all of you - it will really make you see yourself as more than melasma or skin. It will acquiant you with your soul.

  I assume everyone has read today’s article Lushiousness for Leopards? http://www.blogfabulous.com/lushiousness-for-leopards/

  Oh, and I do like to use the continuous spray sunscreen when I go out in the sun. It’s fast and goes over makeup and it’s waterproof and has a high spf and I always have it around. And I don’t have to touch it. I also use sunscreen in my moisturizers when I put on my makeup. And in my foundation usually.

• angelsigns21
  Feb 26, 2008 at 8:36 am

  I have the worst melasma going on right now, plus I’m tan to begin with so I look pretty freaky without this concoction that I wish I could bottle and give to every melasma suffering in the world. When I go out I get compliments on my skin!! It’s because I have mastered the mixing of liquid and mineral foundation which, when done correctly is like a miracle. The products I use currently are Sheer Cover mineral foundation mixed with Cover Girl oil free moisturizing makeup and a couple squirts of Sonia Kashuk (target’s line) radiant tinted moisturizer with spf 15. Trust me, this combo works like magic. The only thing is that mineral foundation tends to get darker when mixed so buy a shade lighter and try to get one that doesn’t have a lot of pink or gray in it. It’s worked very well for me after trying so many types of foundation I realize that there isn’t anything out there that covers very well that doesn’t look like a mask. But this does! Works best when skin is well hydrated! All of these products can be returned if you do not like the results, so you have nothing to lose. Good luck. I HATE MELASMA! ! ! !

• angelsigns21
  Feb 26, 2008 at 10:25 am

  If you can’t mix the foundation correctly, Use a lightweight foundation and follow with a generous dusting of mineral powder. This too will cover a multitude of spotty sins

• krissy
  Feb 27, 2008 at 7:37 am

  helen i have melasma on my four head,both cheeks,and under my lip on both ends.then i have a really dark spot about quarter size on my cheek.but i have freakles so the other ones arent so bad beacuse u cant hardly see them just the really dark one.but i still see them.and about the movie stars i was saying i know somebody had to get this because they all have kids and stress and hormones just like us and we never see any one there face.even the ones that u see with no maycup.so what have they done.who do they go to.so there has to be a fix.

• Helen
  Feb 28, 2008 at 4:36 am

  Camera tricks work great to cover blemishes up Krissy.

  How are you coping with your conditon?

• Helen
  Feb 29, 2008 at 3:07 am

  Hi Tracee,

  When do you use this skinceuticals every night before you go go to bed or in the morning(I have noticed it has no sun protection)? Also hav