Should you exfoliate melasma?

Exfoliating the skin with a facial scrub can help to lighten the pigmentation of melasma by removing dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. The best facial scrub for melasma is Pidanti Smoothing Polish Face and Body Scrub, which gently removes dead skin cells and leaves a smooth, even-toned appearance.

Does exfoliating make hyperpigmentation worse?

Over-exfoliation causes microscopic tears and abrades the skin, especially if a scrub contains granules with irregular edges (crushed walnut shells or apricot pits), has a high pH, or if too much pressure is used. This can lead to severe hyperpigmentation with any method of exfoliation, friction or scrubbing action.

What exfoliant is good for melasma?

Exfoliating Products To Treat Melasma

You can use either mechanical exfoliators, chemical exfoliators containing alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), such as glycolic acid or lactic acid, or beta hydroxy acid (BHA). AHAs and BHAs exfoliate pigmented cells from the surface of the skin.

Can exfoliating cause melasma?

Answer: Your Melasma can be worsened with aggressive exfoliating. You're smart to ask. The answer is yes. Anything that creates inflammation can make your Melasma worse.

What not to use on melasma?

Skin care products: A product that irritates your skin in general will likely make your melasma worse. Soaps: Some scented soaps are thought to cause or worse melasma. Tanning beds: The UV light produced by tanning beds damages your skin just as bad as the UV light from the sun, and sometimes worse.

Melasma: mistakes that make it worse

What can make melasma worse?

Sun exposure.

"The sun is the major exacerbating factor, whatever the underlying cause." Melasma can be caused or worsened by not only the sun's rays, but also heat and visible light. This means that even sunscreens that protect against skin cancer aren't enough to ward off melasma, says Dr. Kourosh.

What helps fade melasma?

The most commonly used treatments for melasma are skin lightening medications that are applied topically. These include medications such as hydroquinone, azelaic acid, kojic acid, niacinamide, cysteamine, rucinol, and tranexamic acid.

Does exfoliation make melasma worse?

Skin Routine

Exfoliating scrubs are among the most common, but these can actually make the problem worse. Melasma is a form of hyperpigmentation that can occur because of friction on the skin, so scrubbing can sometimes make it worse.

Should you exfoliate hyperpigmentation?

Dark spots, hyperpigmentation, melasma, even discoloration left by acne are all forms of excess melanin. Exfoliation helps to reduce the excess melanin by breaking up the pigmented cells and sloughing them off.

Why is it so hard to get rid of melasma?

Because the condition is fueled primarily by sunlight and female hormones, there's no true way to cut off the stimulus for melasma. In other words, you may get encouraging results from a gentle chemical peel, but they're likely to be short-lived. Eventually, nature will regain the upper hand.

How I cured my melasma naturally?

Papaya Both raw and ripe papaya are used for curing various skin disorders. Papain, present in papayas, causes them to be the best home remedy for melasma. Mash a few pieces of papaya and mix it with honey. Apply the paste on affected areas and leave it for 20 minutes.

Can salicylic acid worsen melasma?

Engelman warns against using products with salicylic acid, as it can have a damaging effect on melasma-ridden skin. On top of that, your diet may also have an effect on melasma.

What color cancels out melasma?

Peach or pink color concealers are highly effective in hiding hyperpigmented spots for light to medium skin tone. And, deeper orange or red color concealers can cover the dark spots for people with a darker complexion.

How often should I exfoliate hyperpigmentation?

That said, you can still practice the 2-step exfoliation method in other parts of your routine to fade dark spots. I recommend most people exfoliate 2-4 nights a week depending on their skin's needs—those more prone to clogged pores and breakouts typically need more frequent exfoliation.

What should you not do with hyperpigmentation?

Limit touching your skin.

Scratching or picking a mosquito bite or a spot can result in inflammation and lead to darker pigmentation on your face, so it's best to avoid touching your skin. When you do touch your skin, for example when applying your skin care or makeup, make sure you wash your hands first.

What can worsen hyperpigmentation?

What triggers hyperpigmentation? Triggers include sun exposure, hormonal changes, and trauma to the skin, for example, due to acne or an injury. Picking at scabs and spots may make it worse. Some face creams can irritate the skin, leading to further hyperpigmentation.

Can hyperpigmentation be rubbed off?

Areas of dark-brown hyperpigmentation could be completely rubbed off with isopropyl alcohol (Fig. 2).

Does exfoliating lighten dark spots?

Yes. As mentioned before, a body scrub can remove dark spots or lighten them. They work by removing the dead cells and dirt from the pores, exposing the new skin beneath.

Can I exfoliate post inflammatory hyperpigmentation?

Exfoliation allows for accelerated and even shedding of hyper-pigmented areas – speeding up clearing time. A dermatologist can help determine if a chemical exfoliant like an alpha hydroxy acid or a stronger chemical peel is appropriate. Proceeding with caution is essential.

What is the fastest way to cure melasma on face?

Hydroquinone is the gold-standard topical treatment for melasma.

Does melasma get darker before it fades?

“People think it's going to fade—which it will do—but it won't do that without scrubbing away the cells and working on it. And sometimes it'll get darker before it gets lighter,” As with the night, it seems.

What is the root cause of melasma?

When you expose your skin to UV light, it triggers the body to produce more pigment. Sometimes, this pigment appears unevenly, causing the blotchy patches and freckle-like spots of melasma.

What hormone imbalance causes melasma?

Melasma is often associated with the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. It is common in: Pregnant women. Women taking birth control pills (oral contraceptives)

What stimulates melasma?

The most important factor is exposure to sunlight. UV radiation induces production of alpha-melanocyte–stimulating hormone and corticotropin as well as interleukin 1 and endothelin 1, which contributes to increased melanin production by intraepidermal melanocytes.

How long does melasma take to fade?

It depends. If your melasma is caused by fluctuations in hormones due to pregnancy or because you're taking hormone-based medications or contraception, there's a good chance your melasma will fade within a few months of your hormones returning to normal.