Do I have melasma or sun damage, and will it go away?

dpk88,
Thanks for your question.  Pictures would be very helpful, and an exam much more so, though what you are describing sounds like melasma.  You should stop tanning and use aggressive sun protection with SPF to prevent even more damage, and stopping birth control may help, as melasma is a hormone-dependent process.  However, you first need to find out what you have before treating it.  I personally use a combination of fractional and ablative erbium laser skin resurfacing to treat melasma, though it usually takes multiple treatments.  Good luck!

Hi there,Melasma is sun damage typically coupled with hormonal issues, so you get irregular dark patches on your skin and upper lip. They typically do not go away, and over time they get worse. You need to never touch a tanning bed again, as you already stated. You have not included a photograph, therefore it is not easy to assess exactly what is going on with you. You need to go seek the assistance of a board certified dermatologist who could look at you and do a Wood's Light test to see how deep your melasma is. Many people with melasma have been successfully treated and have been able to stay on birth control, others have to come off of birth control permanently. On a personal note, I have melasma and I wear sunblock everyday rain or shine January through December. I reapply my sunblock every two hours and you can barely see any issues with my skin and melasma. You will need peels, you will need laser and you need to be committed to the health of your skin. Good luck Dr. Downie