Melasma is often mistaken for ordinary spots and people try to "bleach" it harder — and only make it worse. It is a special kind of pigmentation: hormone-dependent, stubborn and prone to returning. Here what works is not aggression but careful, long-term management.
Melasma is linked to hormones, blood vessels and light, so it readily recurs. It is not "bleached" but managed: daily sunscreen (including protection against visible light — tinted/with iron oxide), gentle brighteners (tranexamic acid, azelaic acid, arbutin), and a doctor. Aggression and the sun make melasma worse.
01Why melasma is special
Unlike post-acne marks, melasma is tied not only to melanin but to hormones and a vascular component. It is more common on deeper skin (phototypes III–VI) and is prone to returning. So the aim is not to "remove it once and for all" but to keep it in check.
02Light is the main trigger
Melasma is driven not only by UV but by visible light (including from screens and on overcast days). So ordinary sunscreen is not enough — dermatologists advise tinted sunscreens with iron oxide, which also cover the visible spectrum. Without strict photoprotection, any treatment of melasma is undone.
03What works — carefully
- Sunscreen every day — the foundation of foundations, tinted against visible light.
- Tranexamic acid — targets the vascular-inflammatory pathway of melasma: more here.
- Azelaic acid and arbutin — gentle tyrosinase inhibitors.
- No aggression — strong acids and rough procedures can provoke new pigmentation (PIH).
- A doctor — prescription regimens (including hydroquinone) and procedures are chosen by a dermatologist.
04Common mistakes
- "Bleaching" with harsh acids and scrubs. Irritation makes melasma worse.
- Relying on cream alone without sunscreen. Light undoes the result.
- Dropping protection as soon as it has lightened. Melasma returns.
- Chasing procedures on your own. Lasers without experience on deeper skin cause PIH.
05Common questions
Will melasma go away on its own?
Sometimes post-pregnancy melasma partly fades over time, but more often it is chronic and prone to returning. It is managed long-term: sunscreen, gentle brighteners and supervision by a doctor.
Which sunscreen for melasma?
A tinted sunscreen with iron oxide, SPF 30–50: it protects not only against UV but against visible light, which drives melasma.
06What to try
A tinted sunscreen SPF 50 (iron oxide)
Protection against UV and visible light.
Смотреть на YesStyle BrighteningA serum with tranexamic acid
Targets the vascular-inflammatory pathway of melasma.
Смотреть на YesStyle MultiAzelaic acid
A gentle tyrosinase inhibitor.
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Drawing on dermatological and peer-reviewed sources:
This material is educational and does not replace a consultation with a dermatologist. Melasma is best managed together with a doctor.