Facial Pigmentation During Pregnancy
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Facial Pigmentation During Pregnancy
August 2004
I have had fairly bad facial pigmentation, mask of pregnancy,
since i was about 6 months pregnant, my baby is now four and a
half months old.
Although it has faded a little, it still is quite pronounced and
i'm sick of it!!!
A MD who specializes in cosmetics told me that if it has not
faded by now, it likely won't, and she reccomended a facial
peel, the ''blue peel'', which is quite pricey.
Any and all info on wheather there is still time for my body to
fad on it's own, or remedies that work, including results from
any one who had a blue peel, is greatly appreciated.
thanks!
ruth
I had a lot of melasma (mask of pregnancy) during my first
pregnancy. It was awful! However in the next two and a half
years after my daughter was born, it faded completely. I did not
do any sort of treatment, other than sunscreen. I don't know if
it made a difference that I nursed my daughter for two years.
Also, it is interesting that it did not return with my second
pregnancy.
I wouldn't give up yet!
-
Gen
Facial hyperpigmentation occuring during pregnancy is called
melasma. Unfortunately, it may not resolve completely, or at
all after the birth of the baby. But it is treatable, and I
have had great success in my practice with the Obagi NuDerm
system. The Blue Peel which has been recommended to you is part
of Obagi, but is an additional, much more aggressive procedure
that I reserve for patients who have persistant pigmentation
after Nuderm skun care treatment. This is rarely needed when
treating melasma. Also, the Blue Peel requires pretreatment for
8 weeks with the Nuderm, prior to the peel and this pretreatment
uses Retin A. Retin A should not be used during pregnancy or
when breast feeding. The Nuderm works well to correct
pigmentation even without the use of Retin A, so is safe to do
while nursing. The Blue Peel could actually cause more
pigmentation if the skin is not prepped properly. If you have
more questions, please feel free to call the office. 510 704-
2170
Elizabeth Lee, M.D.
-------------------------------------------
I have dealt with pregnancy mask for years, even when just on
the pill. I wouldn't consider my case severe, but definitely
more than I could live with. I was able to get a presciption
for a skin lightener called Neostrata. You apply it twice a
day until the pigment lightens. I've had good luck with this.
Hope this helps.
Amy
I had a similar problem though I had only a few darkish spots
that weren't too large. They didn't fade on their own. I went
to see Dr. Christine B. in Berkeley (cosmetic dermatologist) and
she really pushed for the obagi blue peel to see results, which
sounds really invasive. I didn't like that she was pushing
something so hard because I came in not wanting anything really
invasive done and it's a fairly expensive procedure with a few
weeks downtime. She seemed sort of put out that I didn't want
to do it, then I asked if I could try the microdermabrasion and
have been very happy with the results/value.
Also, as I was leaving the office I met a woman who had done the
blue peel a month or so ago. She said her skin broke out after
having the peel done and to be honest, her skin didn't look that
great (could just be her skin, but I guess I was expecting
perfection).
anon
May 2004
I am in my second pregnancy, and as happened in my first, I have
what I believe is referred to as ''hyperpigmentation'' on my
face. Basically, I have dark, mottled patches on the sides of
my face, a little on my forehead, and lighter patches on my
chin. I feel like Dax, the Bejoran character on Deep Space
Nine. This first started years ago, long before any pregnancies,
when I was using Retin A for its intended purpose (adult acne)
and also using birth control pills. Even though I used daily
moisterizer with sunscreen, I developed these dark patches,
which I believe were the result of the Retin A reacting to the
hormones I was taking. Ugh. I later used both over-the-counter
and prescription bleaching creams, with limited success. Then,
when I had my first pregnancy, it got worse again; then better
after the birth; and now worse again with my second pregnancy.
Other than using sunscreen, does anyone have any advice on what
I can do to get rid of these patches, either now while I'm still
pregnant or later after the baby arrives. Is there anything you
can buy without a prescription that actually works? Or should I
not waste my money? Is it better to go to a dermatologist and
get some prescription cream? Or would it be more effective to
go get a facial that addresses ''hyperpigmentation''? Do those
facials really work for this? Or do they just make you think
you are doing something? And if they do work, how many
treatments would I need? Any advice, either from those who have
had the same issue, or from those who know skin care, would be
appreciated.
Feeling Bejoran
I was just wondering, are you by any chance taking prenatal
vitamins with large doses of Vitamin A? If so, you should stop
taking them. First, recent research has concluded that you
should take only the USRDA of vitamin A while pregnant. Second,
Retin A is a form of vitamin A. It could be that the
pigmentation has to do with the vitamins and not the pregnancy.
I am certainly no expert on the subject, but the idea popped into
my head and I thought I'd share it.
Good luck!
susan
I could have written your posting...retin A, hormones, sunspots
on face, bleaching creams, facials, worse during pregnancies
etc.
I am 38 years old and grew up in a VERY sunny and beautiful
place which took it's toll on my skin. I have been seeing Dr.
Kathie Rodan - the Proactive doctor - in Oakland for the past
two months. First she started me on proactive for some minor
adult acne(to prevent further scaring), then on her product
line, Radiant, and now I'm into my second session of micro-derma
abrasion(skin resurfacing). The results are AMAZING. My skin is
smooth, almost feels luxurious and my hyper-pigmentation is
almost gone.
I was tired of the the pat responses of my Berkeley
dermatoligists - '' Oh, a few sun spots are not life
threatening'', ''well, that's what the sun does...'', ''If Retin A
doesn't help, not sure anything else will.'' I finally bucked
up for a ''cosmetic'' dermatoligist who UNDERSTOOD what I really
wanted. By the way, Rodan's line of skin care products can be
ordered on-line without seeing her. I do have to say, the micro-
derma work has done wonders for me. Good luck!
No more spots!
I have had great success with foto facials. It is a pulsated
high-specturm light treatment. You can do I higher power one
with a dermatologist, but this can cost a lot. I want to a
wonderful spa in Walnut Creek called Miracullum and after only
about two treatments, so a fantastic improvement! It is
recommended that you do about four. You might want to think
about doing this after the summer though, as it is hard to stay
out of the sun and even a little bit of sunlight can bring it
right back. SPF 30 is always recommended but even so, I found it
hard to maintain and always have better luck in the fall.
Dermabrasion is another option but that can be uncomfortable.
The fotofacial doesn't hurt a bit at the spa but can with a
dermatologist.
Drama Mama
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