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The Many Names And Treatments Of Melasma
Article Two of Three in the Series on Fighting Melasma
Article Two of Three in the Series on Fighting Melasma
Age spots, hyper-pigmentation, chloasma, and the mask of pregnancy are some of the many names that melasma goes by. Types of treatment for this not contagious or dangerous condition range from a detox to laser treatments to topical products. Most of these treatments will improve your skin’s fitness, but don’t eliminate melasma altogether.
Your melasma skin care regimen should include the following two steps of products and treatments.
To improve your melasma obtain skin treatments
To minimize the appearance of melasma and to improve the overall look of your skin, an esthetician at a skin spa is able to provide three skin treatments. Complete cell renewal takes about six weeks so all skin treatments including chemical peels, pulse light therapy, and laser treatments should be done in a series.
A chemical peel will exfoliate the superficial layers of the skin and encourage new, healthy cell growth. Composed of glycolic, retin-A, alphahydroxy, trichloroacetic, and phenol acids, another benefit of aggressive exfoliation like this is that your skin will absorb skin brightening products better.
Using a special wavelength of light to penetrate the skin, the heat from pulse light therapy encourages blood vessels to disappear.
Laser treatments are successful in providing brighter and firmer skin. Lasers are able to reach lower layers of your skin encouraging new cell growth and collagen production.
Using products that will make melasma disappear
There are dozens of products that advertise amazing removal of dark spots. You should not expect these products that exfoliate skin, bleach skin, and brighten skin to work miracles, although they may lighten your melasma. Four product types should be in your melasma skin care plan.
Topical brighteners and bleaches should contain alpha and beta hydroxyl acids. The products are absorbed into the skin reducing the amount of melanin produced, which is one way. Some products are particularly beneficial because they contains hydroquinone which has proven to correct discoloration more than many other ingredients.
Another step is a gentle exfoliating scrub is important because it removes dead skin cells on the surface leaving healthier cells. Using a scrub two to three times a week, like a chemical peel, encourages new cell growth and allows brighteners and bleaches to be absorbed more efficiently.
To calm redness and neutralize the skin’s color choose a moisturizer that includes vitamin B3 and botanicals as elements. To aid in fighting off free radicals in the environment, many products also contain antioxidants like vitamins C and E.
Last but definitely not least is a sun block. Apply sun block to your face, ears, hands, and chest (if exposed) every day. This is particularly important if you are using a bleaching agent. When using a bleaching agent your skin cells have lost some or all of their pigment. The sun’s UVA and UVB rays will worsen your melasma.
In fighting melasma, skin treatments and skin care products are just two factors. In the first and third articles of the Fighting Melasma series, more melasma removal information is discussed.