It’s no secret that pregnancy can do a number on your body. Not only does your weight fluctuate when you’re pregnant, but the change in your hormones can wreak havoc on your skin. There’s a good chance you noticed some dark patches and spots on your face during pregnancy. If so, that’s called melasma. While melasma can impact anyone, pregnant women have a higher risk, especially during the first couple of trimesters.
Sometimes referred to as “the mask of pregnancy,” melasma won’t impact your baby. However, it can ruin your self-confidence, especially if this condition lingers after you’ve given birth. If you’re struggling to get rid of melasma postpartum, keep reading. This article will share a few tips to help treat your melasma, so you can enjoy flawless skin.
1. Try Retinol
Have you heard of retinol? It’s a popular derivative of vitamin A. In recent years, retinol has gained popularity for its skincare benefits. Mainly, retinol boosts collagen production. As you age, your body starts producing less collagen, which causes wrinkles and fine lines to appear. Applying a product, like retinol, to your skin keeps it tight and firm.
Because retinol stimulates cell turnover, it can also help fade dark spots and signs of hyperpigmentation. This means applying retinol can help fade your melasma. And thankfully, it’s easy to get your hands on this game-changing product. Some retinol can be purchased over the counter, but other more potent formulas, like tretinoin, must be prescribed. It’s important to note that retinol cannot be used when you are pregnant. Talk with a medical professional to understand what option is right for you.
2. Keep Away From the Sun
Simply put, melasma is a type of hyperpigmentation. One of the best ways to combat hyperpigmentation is to protect yourself against the sun. Preventative care can reduce dark spots from forming in the first place.
While the sun may feel nice on your skin, too much sun exposure triggers melanin production in your skin. Think freckles, moles, and dark spots. Melanin works to protect your skin from the sun, but too much exposure disrupts this process, leading to hyperpigmentation. While sunlight won’t cause melasma, it can worsen the condition by causing your spots to darken.
It’s essential to protect your skin from the sun. But that’s not always an easy feat, especially if you work outdoors or live somewhere known for its sunshine. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. One way to protect yourself is to apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. You should also wear sun-protective clothing when outside, like a visor or wide-brimmed hat. Avoid the sun during peak hours when possible.
3. Consider a Chemical Peel
Chemical peels are considered a very effective treatment for treating melasma. These peels are skin-resurfacing treatments and work by exfoliating the area being targeted. This exfoliation triggers your body’s natural healing process, accelerating your skin’s cell turnover and replacing dead cells with healthy ones.
Chemical peels help reduce the appearance of melasma by rejuvenating your skin. It’s important to note that there are several different types of chemical peels, all of which vary in intensity. Superficial peels are considered more mild, while deep peels are the strongest. A professional can help advise you on the right strength based on the severity of your melasma and skin type.
4. Re-Think Your Birth Control
As mentioned above, the reason pregnant women are impacted by melasma is because of hormonal changes. But that doesn’t mean pregnant women are the only ones at risk for this skin condition. Women taking birth control before or after pregnancy can also be impacted.
If you can’t seem to shake your melasma, consider taking a look at your birth control. If you’re taking hormonal birth control that contains estrogen and progestin or just progestin, that may be the reason for your imperfect skin. If that’s the case, you may want to make a change.
Luckily, several non-hormonal birth control options are just as effective. One of the most popular is the copper intrauterine device (IUD). You could also opt to use barrier methods of birth control, like condoms, until your melasma has healed. Regardless of what option you’re leaning toward, consider consulting with a physician to find what’s best for you.
5. Don’t Wax Or Shave
If you suffer from melasma, the last thing you should do is wax or shave around the area. Like many other skin conditions, melasma worsens when the skin becomes inflamed. Waxing, shaving, plucking, or rubbing can irritate the skin and cause inflammation. Not only could this cause your skin to become red and swell, but it could cause the melasma to darken.
Remember that this doesn’t mean you should opt for another type of hair removal. Many people with melasma make the mistake of trying laser hair removal. While that might seem safer than waxing or shaving, certain lasers can exacerbate melasma and cause the spots to darken.
Instead, opt for a less intensive treatment, like threading and dermaplaning. While both can still cause some irritation, they shouldn’t have as much of an impact. With that said, you want to be safe. If, after a threading or dermaplaning appointment, you notice inflammation or it looks like your melasma has worsened, avoid both in the future. You may find incorporating soothing creams before hair removal helps reduce inflammation.
While melasma isn’t a permanent condition, it can be a nuisance, especially if you’ve just given birth. You worked hard for nine months carrying your baby, and the last thing you want to do right now is worry about your skin. The tips above can help treat your melasma, and prevent it from worsening, so you can focus on your newborn.