It hasn't even been a month since I started my skin treatment followed very closely by a dermatologist. Although I started out skeptical I have become more optimistic, taking in my families suggestions of a positive attitude. Maybe I just don't want to hope for too much, I know the possible side effects or rebound effect of hydroquinone.
I usually jump out of bed every morning to look in the mirror in hopes of finding that my melasma its on its way out of my life... at night I look forward to wiping away my makeup to see how much my skin has improved... as opposed to before when I dreaded taking off my makeup. I could hardly stand to see my reflection in the mirror.
Tonight as I washed the makeup off my face, I noticed a big change. The first closeup picture is of my right cheek at a different angle and with less flash and the second one is my left cheek. If you click on the pictures you can see them bigger, by the way I can't wax my upper lip so please don't look too closely!
I think the darkness of my spots also depends on the angle and lighting because the full frontal picture looks about the same. To tell you the truth I do see a change even though it's not that apparent in the last pictures, my daughters also see the change.
What do you think?
3 comments:
Wow! It looks a lot better. I can't believe something actually worked. This melasma thing is very frustrating. I'm obsessed with it. I want to know if people see it on me as much as i see it on me.
I'm obsessed with my melasma too. I've had it for 5 years and nothing has helped. I'm ready for aggressive treatment but nothing is really 100%.
I'm also obsessed! It's hard not to be because this is our face - what we present to the world. It's bloody depressing.
I have also been struggling with it for about 5 years and have tried many treatments - some offer slight (and temporary) improvements, some make things much worse. It's really hard.
As I posted in a previous discussion, look for a really good dermatologist who specialises in pigment problems. They should look at your face with a woodlamp (think that's what it's called) to ascertain the depth of the pigment. Pigment that's closer to the surface is easier to treat.
My pigment is deep in the dermis so it's hard to treat, and I am susceptible to postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, which means I am very limited in what treatments I can have without the pigment getting worse.
I have been told that (for me anyway) microdermabrasion is an absolute no-no. IPL works for some, but for me it worsened the condition severely, because of the light involved. Don't be fooled by advertisers that guarantee a risk-free procedure - there is no such thing! Also, only have treatments that are performed by qualified dermatologists - not beauticians. Nothing against beauticians, they are fantastic, helpful, etc, but the fact of the matter is they do not have the medical training that dermatologists do.
I have had a pretty good result with profractional laser so far (have only had one treatment and it was just a few weeks ago), but I don't know if it's recommended for everyone. See a good dermatologist and ask them about your options. Do a bit of research on the internet first, so that you don't get fooled by people who offer you empty promises. Unfortunately I've learnt this the hard way.
At least we're not alone in all this!
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