How I Treat My Melasma While Pregnant

– What I’m doing right now​ 

I’m gonna be honest, it’s been really difficult for me to stick to healthy eating habits throughout my pregnancy. During my first trimester all I wanted to eat was Burger King, enchiladas, and chorizo & egg tacos! The nutrient-dense foods that I was eating before, like kale and salmon, grossed me out. So since I haven’t been able to stick to a clean diet during my pregnancy I’ve been focusing on other ways to manage my melasma in addition to my pregnancy skincare routine. Here’s what I am doing right now. 

Taking a Prenatal Vitamin

It’s recommended for every pregnant woman to take a prenatal for baby’s development but it’s also great for skin. Prenatals contain Vitamin A, C, and E as well as Zinc and Biotin. These are all essential nutrients that the body needs to function, and they’re also key contributors to skin health.  

Regular Facials

At least once a month, sometimes twice. I love getting facials – besides giving skin a deep clean, facials are relaxing and a great way to decompress to keep oxidative stress (a melasma trigger) away. Facials also encourage cell turnover, as they include either a physical exfoliation or chemical exfoliation. This removes the dead skin cells at the top layer of the skin, revealing healthy skin underneath!

SPF Everyday

Even when I am indoors I apply an SPF-containing product, which may seem weird but it is so necessary because sun rays still penetrate through windows. Another potentially triggering light source we don’t often think about is blue light from cell phones or computers. The best way to treat dark spots is to prevent them from happening in the first place, so I always use sunscreen as part of my AM skincare routine.   

Dark Spot Treatment

Strong topicals with ingredients like glycolic acid and alpha arbutin are great to use for dark spots but I advise using them mainly at night, right before bed, because these active ingredients can actually cause photosensitivity. Right now I am using a high concentration of Vitamin C (20%) along with liquorice root and dandelion. Dandelion has also been shown to help treat melasma when consumed raw (in a salad) or as tea. 

For most people, treating melasma requires a holistic approach – there isn’t just one “trick” to reversing or reducing hyperpigmentation. That’s why I’m taking care to maintain a comprehensive skincare routine, take my vitamins, and apply SPF religiously throughout my pregnancy. It’s hard, if not sometimes impossible, to stay dialed in on all fronts all the time! But I hope my own experience encourages you not to give up on what you’re doing well just because it’s not feasible to stay consistent with every aspect of your melasma treatment approach. Taking care of yourself, however you can, is still always worth it!