Life has been incredibly transitional over the last year.
Since my last post recapping our wedding day, we moved into our first single family home and I made the decision to leave the corporate world and become a full-time entrepreneur. The biggest challenge though, has been learning to embrace every aspect of evolving and chaotic motherhood. To find some sort of balance in it all and remember to make guilt-free time for me. A big part of that has been investing in self-care and writing as often as possible. Today I want to share about my skincare journey- something I’ve been quite vulnerable about on Instagram.
Baseline complexion after my honeymoon in Mexico- March 2022.
Melasma is often termed “the mask of pregnancy” and is characterized by brown patches or freckle-like spots. Its onset typically occurs due to an overproduction of cells in the epidermis called melanocytes. These cells store and produce dark pigment called melanin, appearing most commonly on the forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. A fluctuation of hormones during pregnancy and postpartum (especially in your 30’s) is what usually triggers this overproduction, but it can be exacerbated by light, heat and prolonged sun exposure. It’s also seen more commonly on people with ethnic backgrounds. Melasma is a lifelong condition that I’ve struggled with since my first pregnancy 7 years ago. It doesn’t surprise me that I have it either, given that I tick all the boxes above right down to my Indonesian background. As it’s worsened, so has my self-esteem and therefore I would go about covering it up every day even just to run to the grocery store or pick up the kids. Something hit me a few months ago-
I just looked in the mirror one morning and thought “that is enough…. I need to gain back some control over this.”
Clinic 805 is a cosmetic surgery and skincare centre that I have many years of experience knowing. Founded in 2009, Dr. Kenneth Smith and his incredible medical aesthetic team are able to offer a holistic and comprehensive approach to all treatments. Thankfully, Melasma can be treated and I felt confident moving forward with Clinic 805 to manage the condition, guided by the knowledge and expertise of nurse Shelley.
Here’s how I improved my skin tone over three months.
1. VISIA skin analysis
VISIA is cutting-edge technology at Clinic 805 that can capture an in-depth analysis of facial characteristics. From the multi-spectral imaging, you can immediately determine measures of texture, brown spots, wrinkles and sun damage. Most importantly, you can come up with an individualized treatment plan to accomplish your unique skin goals. The comparative below proves that my treatment plan notably broke up the melasma bands across my cheekbones, upper lip and surrounding areas. My brown spots score improved from 38 to 61 (with 50 being an average score of the population).
So what was the treatment plan?
2. Acquire the gold standard product-line for pigment conditions- ZO Skin Health.
Dr. Obaji- founder and medical director of ZO Skin Health has pioneered more than 35 years in advanced skincare solutions, and his dedication to skin discolouration breakthroughs has been globally recognized.
I’ve used retinol and hydroquinone in the past, but have never pushed myself to the necessary lengths to see results; mainly because I didn’t have a healthcare practitioner guiding me at the time. As soon as I started peeling, I quit. These products are strong and skin reactions are uncomfortable, but when you get to the other side- some serious magic starts happening. Through applying the tailored combination of day to night ZO products shown above, my skin became more refined with an increasingly better tone. The topical treatment plan worked by slowing down my melanin production, lightening the pigment and blending the overall complexion.
What to expect with retinol?
Around week six I was at the peak of my “repair phase” feeling the most uncomfortable. Redness, dryness and burning occurred 1-2 days after using retinol. I had a strict protocol for usage and it is so important to be guided by those with the utmost expertise when using these products because you can know what to expect, seek reassurance and feel confident in the amounts you are using. Once I got through this phase, my skin became more tolerable to the retinol and I started really loving its new glow.
3. Laser Genesis
I absolutely love the gentle Laser Genesis treatment because it stimulates collagen and gives you that desirable healthy glow. It was an important part of my treatment plan because it combatted the redness that accompanied my melasma bands. We did a series of six treatments over the three months and each time my skin grew a little more tolerant to the laser and appeared more radiant to follow. It’s great for any skin type- especially those with pigment issues, rosacea, or those looking for skin resurfacing for scars/post-surgery.
4. Physical sunscreen every day- rain or shine.
If I could do it over again I would be adamant about SPF from the start. I’ll admit that I’ve lived too many years in my teens and early 20’s sun-worshiping unprotected because that’s just the ignorance I had when I was younger. Thankfully, I’ve become more educated than ever on skin health and have made a promise to mindfully apply physical SPF daily. I absolutely love being in the sun and that’s just something I’m not willing to totally give up, so there has to be a compromise. I know that if I want to continue managing my melasma, I have to cover up with a quality SPF, hat, and avoid prolonged exposure. I also have to understand that with that, my pigment will temporarily worsen in the warmer months. Just like I can build a tan easily, my hyperpigmentation can’t wait to darken too- so the least I can do is defend my skin against the harmful rays of the sun as best that I can.
5. Self-love and acceptance
The truth is I might not ever have perfectly-even skin tone. I’m a hard case. On my forehead remains a relatively lightened (stubborn) splotch of melasma deep within the epidermis as we head into summer, though the rest has evened out nicely.
You know what? I’m ok with it. I’m so happy with the way my skin looks and feels right now. I’m so grateful to be at this place of self-love and acceptance. The psychological breakthrough alone of not feeling like I need to wear make up has been invaluable; just allowing that forehead pigment to show through beneath a light coverage foundation rather than feeling the need to mask it away- it’s been huge for me. My skin glows now. It truly feels radiant and refined, but the journey is not over yet. I will continue using all new ZO maintenance products this summer like Brightalive and Vitamin C to continue improving and brightening my skin tone while giving the retinol a break. The skin health education I’ve acquired on this journey has been incredible, but what’s more is:
In taking back control of my skin, I became more accepting of it. By investing in self-care, I invested back in my self-esteem. By prioritizing my needs as a woman, I also prioritized my ability to be the best mom I can be.