Melasma, melasma. Most of us deal with melasma—whether it is on a large or small scale. Melasma are dark spots found on your neck, back, arms, and even your face in places like your cheeks, nose, chin, upper lip, and forehead.
If you know all of this already, you are probably a perfect candidate for our melasma treatments in Waterloo. While melasma is stubborn, so we can’t get rid of it permanently, we can do semi-regular treatments to keep it under control.
Even though melasma pops up the most when we spend time in the summer sun, getting melasma treatments in summer doesn’t do much for you. The best time to get treatment is after summer.
That way, skin that has been exposed to strong sun for months can rest and reset once it receives this so-called “end of summer” treatment.
Why Melasma Happens
Lots of factors contribute to melasma, so let’s take a look at a few…
Sun Exposure
Melasma comes out after sun exposure, because sunshine makes your skin want to create extra melanin—which is a pigment that makes your skin darker. Most of the time, this means that your skin as a whole becomes darker. But for some, including those struggling with melasma, those already darkened areas will be targets for new pigmentation.
Your body can take those sun rays and pull them towards what is already dark—like those melasma spots. You may notice your melasma darkening after even just a few hours in the sun.
Hormones
A large population of those who deal with melasma are women, specifically women aged 20-40. This is because of the constant hormonal changes this demographic sees, whether from a menstrual cycle, oral contraceptives, pregnancy, or even menopause.
Medications
Sometimes, medications can cause you to develop melasma. If you’ve only recently noticed melasma is something you hadn’t noticed in your life until recently, then maybe take a look at if you started taking a certain medicine recently as well. It is possible that those two things are correlated.
Medications like anti-seizure medication, birth control, retinoids, blood pressure medication, and antibiotics have been linked to melasma. If you believe your medication is causing melasma, talk with your practitioner about your concerns!
Genetics
Genetics can also make you more sensitive to the sun. Did either of your parents or any grandparents deal with melasma? If you aren’t sure, that’s totally okay, but it is something to take into consideration if you have eliminated all those above potential reasons.
There are so many potential reasons why you might be struggling with melasma.
How to Control Melasma Without Treatment
Before you get medical or aesthetic help with melasma, you can always evaluate some of these at-home management techniques to see if they help you! Remember, coming in for a skin assessment doesn’t mean you have to leave with a treatment scheduled. So if you just want to get a second opinion from us here at SPRY, then feel free to come in!
What You Eat
Sometimes, what you eat can have quite the effect on your face and skin. Certain foods can cause breakouts, rashes, or more irritation on the face or other parts of the body.
But it is also common for too much of a certain food group or type of food to cause things like melasma. Foods that raise blood sugar levels quickly have been linked to melasma,so you may choose to limit or avoid foods like white breads, refined grains, sugary snacks, and dairy products.
What You Wear (On Your Face)
Make sure you use products that are not only good for your skin but also meant for it! Finding safe and effective products is step one. Then, you need to make sure your products are recommended for your skin type and can help you towards your skincare goals.
Do you want hydration? Acne scar control? Blurring? We can review these questions and any others you have when we help you pick out the right skin care line for you during your skin assessment at SPRY!
Getting the Right Amount of Sun
Melasma can be inflamed by sun exposure. But if your skin isn’t exposed to the sun at all, your melasma will react more strongly to it when you do spend time in the sun. By having a healthy amount of sunlight on your skin, you can balance your skin’s reaction so it’s neither too little nor too much. It is a fine line, so it can be hard to do. But that is also why sunscreen helps!
What We Suggest–VI Peels
How They Work
Designed to penetrate the top layer of skin, the VI Peel is a chemical peel that is both gentle and powerful in its effects. Although various chemical peels contain different ingredients that serve specific purposes, the fundamental concept behind a chemical peel remains the same: to exfoliate the skin and eliminate the damaged outer layer.
When applied to your skin, ingredients like salicylic acid, lactic acid, retinoic acid, and Vitamin C have the remarkable ability to penetrate that top layer. Then, the peel ingredients dry out and agitate the outer layer of your skin, causing peeling and flaking to reveal younger and rejuvenated skin beneath.
Length of Results
The duration of the results from your chemical peel is entirely in your hands, as you have complete control over how long they will last. The most important factors that contribute to optimizing and extending your results from chemical peels are your at-home habits.
Best Paired With Quality Skincare
Why Your Products Matter
Having the right kind of skincare is also key to making sure your body benefits most from any treatment you get here at SPRY!
The chemical peel will do most of the work, but realistically speaking, your skin will need more care at a consistent level to benefit you the most.
Medical-Grade Skincare
We have the privilege of offering a selection of our favorite products right here in our office. If you’re interested in obtaining medical grade skincare, all you have to do is finish your session and ask for recommendations from our friendly office staff.
We can also delve into your skincare options right from the start of your skin assessment journey. Our expert will not only talk you through an ideal treatment plan but also provide a comprehensive overview of post care details during this chat.
Check out our products!
Why We Are Different
We here at SPRY are small but mighty. We have one NP in our clinic, Bethany. Bethany will walk you through your entire journey and treatment process. You can trust that our experts for facials near Cedar Falls will always have your back.
So you do not have to worry about unfamiliar faces when arriving for a treatment; you can just focus on getting comfortable! We were also one of the first med spas in the area! So we are the OGs—ready to serve you with 6 years of experience.
Fun Fact—while many med spas focus only on services for women, we offer services for both male and female patients.
The Short Story of Us!
Our mission has always been to help men and women gain confidence to be the best versions of themselves. SPRY has helped thousands of patients achieve this over the past six years.
Serving both Waterloo and Cedar Falls, SPRY has a reputation for superior service throughout Cedar Valley. We are lucky to have an amazing team at SPRY. Our upbeat energy will leave you feeling energized and inspired to take on the rest of your day!
Start Your Journey to Clearer Skin with a Facial at SPRY!
From the moment you step into our clinic, our friendly staff will make you feel right at home. Whether you are coming straight from work, from the gym, or from running errands, you will always feel welcomed and valued at SPRY.
We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to skincare. That’s why we customize every treatment to the individual needs of our patients. Try out our treatment planner for instant treatment recommendations, or get started today by booking your skin assessment!
Get ready to feel SPRY.
