Are you using this 3-part at home treatment on your melasma or “pregnancy mask”?

Do you suffer from melasma?
Melasma is a condition that affects about 6 million women. It is commonly known as the “pregnancy mask”, but you don’t have to be pregnant to be affected by it. According to the AAD, sun exposure, a change in hormones, and cosmetics that irritate the skin can all cause and contribute to melasma. If you’ve noticed it on yourself or friends, there is typically a line of demarcation, meaning you could trace the large brown patch, as the darker area often significantly stands out. Melasma does not discriminate and can affect anyone, but people with darker skin tones are more likely to suffer from this condition.
Melasma is controllable and manageable with creams or chemical peels, but can easily be triggered and can darken on a moments notice.
I often see patients that say they were at the beach and didn’t let their face get one lick of sun, they swear they used the BEST sunscreen containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, wore a huge hat, sat under the umbrella the whole time and reapplied their SPF every 2 hours but their melasma still got worse. It’s a frustrating thing. I suffer from melasma and I sometimes notice it fighting to come back if I am outside for just 30 minutes on a hot day sitting on my COVERED back porch with excellent sun protection and a hat or after a really intense workout where I got overheated. With summer on the horizon chemical peels and laser treatments are no longer recommended.

(This is one of my favorite pictures. It is the beginning of my story as a mother, but also the beginning of the melasma that you can see on both cheeks.)
What is the one of the best at-home products for controlling melasma? Triluma.
Triluma is a cream that is used to diminish melasma and sun damage that has caused a myriad of brown spots. For best results, Triluma is typically used for about 8 weeks, which will provide visible results, although some may need to use it for a longer period. It contains 3 active ingredients: tretinoin (a retinoid and generic name for Retin A), hydroquinon (a common skin lightener), and fluocinolone acetonide (a mild steroid). The synergy of these 3 ingredients is what makes this a beautiful product with beautiful results.
Why does it work on the discoloration or “pregnancy mask”?
In brief, the retinoid or tretinoin helps to increase the speed at which your skin cells naturally come to the surface and slough off. Tretinoin also increases the skin’s sensitivity to sun exposure; therefore sun protection is critical. This allows the hydroquinone to target and penetrate to the deeper levels where the melanin or brown pigment is produced. Hydroquinione, popularly referred to as “bleaching cream,” actually works to suppress the melanocytes, these are the cells that produce the brown pigment. The mild steroid allows the skin to tolerate usage of the product everyday, as tretinoin can often cause some inflammation and irritation. Inflammation and irritation can then cause rebound pigmentation.

(My son is now 2 and the melasma is still there. )

This product should not be used when pregnant or nursing. Compliant use, nightly as tolerated, is important, sun protection. Sun protection is imperative as well, therefore use of an effective sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30 that contains a mineral sunscreen such as zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. The sunscreen should be liberally applied 30 minutes before being exposed to the sun and reapplied every 2 hours if in direct sun light. Avoidance of the sun if at all possible is the best choice when treating melasma, but is not always a realistic option.