Its not even summer yet, and here we go with the melasma

happycat · ‎09-18-2010

UGH! Does anyone else battle this? I have what looks like a bruise on my cheek, and arms look so old. So much discoloration and I know to use sunscreen. I've been wearing short sleeves for a whole week and my arms look hideous. I will use my self tanner tomorrow and that will help some, but gosh. It seems like this gets worse every year.

Do any of you have this issue? I have got to start putting on sunscreen every morning.

TY · ‎03-10-2010

I get that hormonal mustache - the skin darkening pigment on my upper lip - and it's due to HRT replacement. It's frustrating because it's not due to the sun. I wear sunscreen and a hat while outside too.

FranandZoe · ‎03-09-2010

When I took The Pill I got it above my upper lip when I got too much sun.

Mistic · ‎12-08-2010

@happycat ~ I understand your frustration. I have the opposite. Vitiligo. So any suntan, and I have total white spots.

Please, just enjoy getting out. If someone doesn't like "our" spots, then they don't have to look. We are not our spots, but kind and caring people. If all they see are our spots, then we don't need them in our lives.

I know this does not answer your question on what to do. Just wanted to remind you how special you are.

If you want to change the tenor of your interactions, you must become aware of the impact of your words...Karen Casey

happycat · ‎09-18-2010

@Mistic, thank you. I absolutely love your reply and you are so right. We are not our spots.

OkeyDokey · ‎06-04-2010

This is a strange questions, but are you positive it's melasma? Heat and sunlight also aggravates a common harmless condition called tinea versicolor. When it is mild, it looks a lot like melasma. Just a thought.

If it is definitely melasma...I already have a patch on my dang neck! it is so aggravating!

rnmom · ‎03-11-2010

I don't have melasma on my arms, but I do have it on my face and I know what you mean about battling the discoloration. As soon as the weather starts to turn warmer I start to worry about being outside in the sun. So much so that I can't seem to relax and just enjoy the weather. Which is really sad because I live in Michigan and we don't get a lot of nice, warm weather here.

I do use sunscreen every day of course but I'm very self conscious about the discoloration. I wish that I could just relax and enjoy the sun and myself in my own skin but it's not easy.

I'm trying to find a decent high spf to use on my face so that I don't have to worry so much about the spots getting worse but it's really hard to find one that doesn't break me out or make me feel like a sticky, gooey mess.