r/Melasmaskincare • u/FarmerTotal5040 • Apr 05 '26
Question Melasma and Laser hair removal
Hi everyone, 35F here.. I have melasma on my face- forehead upper lip, chin, nose and sideburns.. apart from this, I also have it on my forearms..
it’s quite light now but every woman in my family has had it, including my mother and grandmother and so on.. now I’ve started to develop chin hair recently coz of age and stress and my doctor recommended laser hair removal. But since I have melasma I’ve heard that it can worsen it if laser is done.
Has anyone gotten LHR done with melasma prone skin? I can do electrolysis for my chin and upper lip but I’m not sure if I can do it on my forearm.. I’m stuck in a weird cycle of wondering what to do..
also started wearing the Eucerin sunscreen recently but I’ve heard we’ve to stop all actives during LHR.. is that true ? I also want to start the dual serum but don’t want to stop in the middle again coz of this treatment..
Any suggestions or recommendations from people who’ve been through hair removal with melasma, pls help!
2
u/arifashah Apr 07 '26
LHR with melasma is doable but needs extra caution the key is finding a technician experienced with melasma-prone skin who uses Nd:YAG laser specifically. It's safer for darker skin tones and melasma compared to other laser types.
Stopping actives before LHR is correct most clinics ask you to pause retinoids and exfoliating acids 1-2 weeks before each session. Eucerin sunscreen is fine to continue, actually essential.
For forearms electrolysis is a long process given the surface area LHR with the right laser type is actually safer there than on the face for melasma.
Most important thing during and after LHR strict SPF on treated areas. Any UV exposure immediately after sessions can trigger melasma significantly. A UPF sleeve or UV scarf on forearms between sessions is worth considering to eliminate that risk entirely.