Melasma – problems and risks with peels and melasma and many other melasma questions!
I’m sad that you had this experience. Everyone with melasma and/or acne gets very frustrated at times and your experience with all of this has been distressing, to say the least. I hear that you are feeling depressed so please – can you get some help with the depression – while your skin is slowly improving? See your primary care doctor first and tell her/him the problem.
I particularly wanted to answer your questions because all of a sudden I’m seeing articles in the women’s magazines extolling the virtues of peels – and the information is not especially accurate and some of it is misleading about the risks of peels. Your question illustrates it well.
Usually a peel like a Jessner’s isn’t deep enough to cause permanent damage but it can cause a serious case of what we call post inflammatory hyperpigmentation that can take sometimes, 6-12 months to resolve with good care.
Can you please read for me carefully all the content in these 3 links below. Most of your questions are answered there. Then write me back with any remaining questions, and I’ll try to answer them for you and everyone out there who’s struggling with melasma or PIH.
Ignore the parts on peels and hydroquinones for now, since they are clearly making things worse.
Hope this helps, Dr. I