Hello Beloveds!
Penny's back. I hope you missed me. LOL! So sorry for the delay in posts...but sometimes we have to pause for a cause.
So what does Penny have to share with you today? Skincare trials. Yes...some old products, some new. Penny was recently diagnosed with
melasma and had to make significant changes to her skincare regimen. Over the past year or so I noticed dark patches on my face which I thought may have been sun damage from years of being a self-proclaimed sun goddess. But none of the over-the-counter fade creams/gels worked. Melasma is a skin condition that causes
hyper pigmentation usually on the face, and it is exacerbated by the sun. Here is the medical definition.
Melasma -- Pigmentation of the face, most commonly on the malar area (the upper cheek), bridge of nose, forehead, and upper lip, that occurs in half of women during pregnancy. Melasma darkens from sun or any UV exposure. Sunscreens are essential. They should be broad spectrum.
Sometimes called the 'mask of pregnancy,' melasma can also be caused by birth control pills; and women who are neither pregnant or on birth control can sometimes have melasma. In order to get rid of the frustrating dark patches on my forehead, outer corners of my eyes and upper cheeks, my dermatologist prescribed Tri-Luma. This prescription strength (4%) hydroquinone cream contains tretinoin, and fluocinolone acetonide. It did a pretty good job of fading my discoloration. I have been on the treatment for almost two months but will stop treatment by the end of August before going back to the dermatologist in September. Because the medicine is fairly strong, it is not prescribed for more than 2-3 months at a time. It is recommended that you stop treatment for about 6-8 weeks before using it again. It is an expensive medication that is often not covered by medical insurance...my sale price at the dermatologist office was $113. Ouch! It was not covered by insurance and would have been anywhere from $120-$160 if I took the prescription to the pharmacy. But the .30g tube will last more than a year for sure; it is a spot treatment. (read full story...)
