{"id":21048,"date":"2025-07-08T05:20:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/this-popular-anti-aging-treatment-is-making-your-melasma-worse-dermatologists-explain-why\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T05:20:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T09:20:35","slug":"this-popular-anti-aging-treatment-is-making-your-melasma-worse-dermatologists-explain-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/this-popular-anti-aging-treatment-is-making-your-melasma-worse-dermatologists-explain-why\/","title":{"rendered":"This popular anti-aging treatment is making your melasma worse (dermatologists explain why)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Summer sun is at its peak this July, and while many are seeking ways to maintain youthful skin, dermatologists are raising an important warning flag. That anti-aging laser treatment you&#8217;ve been considering? It might actually be <strong>worsening your melasma<\/strong> instead of helping it.<\/p>\n<h2>Why your anti-aging treatments could be backfiring this summer<\/h2>\n<p>As temperatures soar in mid-2025, skincare experts are cautioning that certain popular anti-aging procedures may be doing more harm than good for those with melasma \u2013 those stubborn brown patches that appear on the face.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If you&#8217;ve been treating your melasma with laser or cosmetic procedures and noticed your pigmentation darkening or becoming more stubborn, you&#8217;re not alone,&#8221; explains Dr. Heather Jenkins, a leading cosmetic physician who sees this problem frequently during summer months.<\/p>\n<h2>The heat-melanin connection you need to understand<\/h2>\n<p>The science behind this counterintuitive effect lies in how melasma behaves. <strong>Heat-based treatments<\/strong>, including popular options like radiofrequency microneedling and various laser therapies, can stimulate melanocytes \u2013 the cells that produce pigment in your skin.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Anything involving heat should be used with extreme caution by those who have melasma. Heat stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin,&#8221; warns Dr. Rebecca Marcus, dermatologist and melasma specialist.<\/p>\n<p>This mechanism creates a perfect storm during summer, when UV exposure already threatens to worsen pigmentation issues. The combination can lead to what dermatologists call <strong>post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)<\/strong>, making melasma significantly harder to treat.<\/p>\n<h2>Which treatments are the biggest offenders?<\/h2>\n<p>According to experts, several popular anti-aging treatments pose particular risks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nonablative fractional lasers<\/li>\n<li>Ablative fractional lasers<\/li>\n<li>IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments<\/li>\n<li>Q-switched laser treatments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8220;Most lasers and IPL are based on elective photothermolysis. However, an adverse basal layer inflammation can result in repigmentation and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation,&#8221; states Dr. Shamban, a respected dermatologist in the field.<\/p>\n<p>One patient who learned this the hard way shared: &#8220;After my laser treatment, my melasma cleared for about a month, but then it came back even worse. I wish I&#8217;d known about this risk before spending so much money.&#8221; This experience mirrors what many doctors report seeing in their practices.<\/p>\n<h2>Safer alternatives for summer skincare<\/h2>\n<p>Instead of heat-based treatments, experts recommend focusing on <strong>evidence-based, gentler approaches<\/strong> during the summer months. Many find success with treatments that avoid triggering inflammation, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/i-tried-this-2-ingredient-summer-mask-at-53-and-my-dark-spots-faded-70-in-3-weeks-dermatologists-explain-why\/\" target=\"_blank\">targeted masks that address dark spots<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Disrupting the skin barrier through aggressive procedures leads to increased sensitivity and pigment retention,&#8221; Dr. Jenkins notes. This is especially problematic when combined with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/my-eyeliner-burned-my-eyes-for-6-hours-why-your-makeup-might-be-harming-you-too\/\" target=\"_blank\">potentially irritating makeup products<\/a> that many use to cover melasma.<\/p>\n<h2>The essential summer protection strategy<\/h2>\n<p>For those managing melasma this July, experts recommend:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rigorous daily sun protection with broad-spectrum SPF 30+<\/li>\n<li>Wearing wide-brimmed hats and seeking shade<\/li>\n<li>Using topical tyrosinase inhibitors like hydroquinone<\/li>\n<li>Considering oral tranexamic acid under medical supervision<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8220;Combination therapy often leads to the highest efficacy and most sustained results, but this often comes with an increased risk of adverse effects,&#8221; cautions a recent report in Dermatology Times.<\/p>\n<h2>The promising future of melasma treatment<\/h2>\n<p>Not all technological advances are problematic. <strong>Picosecond lasers<\/strong> show promise with fewer side effects, though they still require cautious use. Many patients also report success with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/i-stored-refrigerator-ingredients-reversed-my-summer-puffy-eyes-in-just-3-weeks-my-dermatologist-noticed\/\" target=\"_blank\">cooling treatments that reduce inflammation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Be wary of ingredients in skincare and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/warning-9-out-of-10-makeup-products-contain-banned-cancer-causing-pigments\/\" target=\"_blank\">makeup products that might contain triggering pigments<\/a>, which can further complicate melasma management.<\/p>\n<p>Like an unwelcome summer storm, melasma can darken suddenly when provoked by the wrong treatment. The skin&#8217;s pigment cells are like sensitive thermometers \u2013 responding quickly to heat with increased production.<\/p>\n<h2>Is there hope for your summer skin?<\/h2>\n<p>Absolutely. &#8220;Addressing recurrence and improving treatment personalization are key areas for future melasma management,&#8221; notes a researcher specializing in emerging therapies. Even those who have experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/i-tried-this-viral-summer-hair-oil-and-got-clogged-pores-for-3-weeks-what-dermatologists-warned-me-about\/\" target=\"_blank\">adverse reactions to beauty treatments<\/a> can find relief with the right approach.<\/p>\n<p>Your summer skin journey may require patience, but with proper knowledge and medical guidance, even stubborn melasma can be managed effectively \u2013 without the counterproductive heat that many anti-aging treatments introduce.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summer sun is at its peak this July, and while many are seeking ways to maintain youthful skin, dermatologists are raising an important warning flag. That anti-aging laser treatment you&#8217;ve been considering? It might actually be worsening your melasma instead of helping it. Why your anti-aging treatments could be backfiring this summer As temperatures soar &#8230; <a title=\"This popular anti-aging treatment is making your melasma worse (dermatologists explain why)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/this-popular-anti-aging-treatment-is-making-your-melasma-worse-dermatologists-explain-why\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about This popular anti-aging treatment is making your melasma worse (dermatologists explain why)\">Lire plus<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21047,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"acf":[],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":null,"_yoast_wpseo_title":null,"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.journee-mondiale.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}