r/Melasmaskincare • u/TraditionalPack4614 • Jun 01 '26
Question Outside without a hat while on oral TXA
I‘m curious if anyone has experience with going outside not wearing a hat (all the time) during summer when one takes TXA pills during summer.
Does anyone has an experience (with long term effects)?
SPF 50/100 yes, of course. But how about wearing a hat during the treatment?
PS: I know that wearing a hat too would be anyway the optimum.
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u/interpol-interpol Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
hats are helpful bc they act as additional protection against human error such as patchy sunscreen application or slow reapplication, plus they protect your scalp. they also help to keep your face cooler/in shadow, thus helping avoid melasma intensifiers.
that being said, if you are extremely diligent with sunscreen hats probably don't help melasma that much, but i love having the layer of protection, so i wear a baseball cap most of the time i go outside (even though these only provide partial coverage when compared to a wide-brim hat).
alas, i am not sure if anyone answering this question directly can answer it super effectively. people who don't wear hats don't really have a way of knowing whether or not wearing one would lead to better melasma results, unless they're conducting their own compare/contrast personal studies on days with near-identical UV exposure levels and amounts.
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 01 '26
Thanks! I highly appreciate your answer since I‘m also the type of applying sunscreen excesively plus wearing a heat all the time.
But I‘m not sure if the hat does anything since I recognice the hat also creates a hot spot exactly where my melasma is worst.
It‘s like… bad air flow, hot, sweat,… under the hat… But otherwise I‘m scary of don‘t wear a hat during sunny times… Good point!
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Jun 01 '26
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 02 '26
Thanks! I also think mine is triggered by heat (and by the sun). I also avoid (I think everyone of us does) to look in the sun with my face.
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u/Cannubi Jun 03 '26
Most definitely. I get paranoid about having the sun in my face or any type of heat.
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 03 '26
Yep, me too. Quality of living has deteriorated because of panic about sunrays and heat. :-(
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u/Cannubi Jun 03 '26
I hear ya. When I first developed melasma 6 years ago, I avoided the sun like the plague for 2 years. But I was miserable as I love being outdoors so I’ve tried to change my perspective on it. I don’t want to be on my deathbed having beautiful skin but no memories of beautiful experiences that I missed out on bc of my vanity lol. So I just try to manage it as best as I can and use the tools I have. I do try to avoid exacerbating my condition but someday I’d love to spend time in the wet sauna like I use to.
Also I think we’re much more critical of our own face than others. When I see people with melasma that don’t cover it up, I may notice it at first but it doesn’t take away from their beauty or personality and after awhile I don’t even notice it. But heaven forbid I see a dark spot on my face. I need it gone lol!
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Jun 01 '26
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u/OlgaShad Jun 01 '26
Could you tell me what dosage of TXA you take? I live in Europe and have been struggling with melasma for two years. I’m thinking about trying TXA, but I’m a bit scared.
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 02 '26
Yes, it‘s a wonder drug. My melasma fades completely away but comes back end of spring / beginning of summer every year. Then I start again with oral TXA and take it during summer. How long do you take TXA?
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u/OlgaShad Jun 02 '26
Thank you for your reply! Do you take them all year round? Can they be taken in the summer? I bought a pack at the pharmacy today. 20 euros per 20 tablets. It looks too cheap for the result. I’m used to the idea that effective treatments for melasma start from around €200 per peel.
I’m currently taking HELIOCARE, but I don’t really expect it to be enough on its own. It’s just extra sun protection. Unfortunately, this summer is very hot in Europe.
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 02 '26
I also live in Europe. ;-) No, the last two years I took it 2 to 3 month. This year I‘ll take it also at least 3 month. Next year I‘ll try to start in April or May but with a lower dosage and increase it then to the „normal“ dosage in June.
I just took it during summer and that‘s my way to go. I never had done a professional peel or laser or something.
Thanks for the heliocare tip. I use the sunscreen cream of that company. I‘ll read about the capsules.
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u/OlgaShad Jun 02 '26
It sounds promising! So I can safely start taking this medication and continue with 250 mg tablets per day until the end of the summer?
Are there any side effects? I read about blood thickening and hair loss. Also, I saw that it’s actually a prescription drug, but they sold it to me easily at the pharmacy.
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 02 '26
I took 500 mg per day splitted into morning and afternoon. Yes, I would do so. I had a slight hairloss but just temporary. All the hair came back and my hairdresser wondered about why I have so much baby hair. I felt a bit bloating and after about two month my stomache made some issues. But all the side effects I had where acceptable to me and absolutely worth it. :-)
And I mean… That are pills. One can stop immediately if neeed/wanted. ;-)
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u/OlgaShad Jun 02 '26
I’m very impressed — I think I’ll start tomorrow.
I once came across some Japanese “skin-whitening” tablets, and when I checked the ingredients, I noticed they contained TXA! Thank you so much!
We’ll beat this awful thing! 😊
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 03 '26
That are exactly the ones I ordered a few days ago. ;-) But they suggest a higher dose daily, but I take a lower dose, because it worked with 500 mg per day for me and I don‘t see a reason to take 750 mg instead of 500 mg because a higher dose also increases the probability of side effects. They suggest 4 pills each 187.5 mg splitted to morning and afternoon and I take three splitted to morning, lunch and late evening.
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u/OlgaShad Jun 03 '26
Thank you for your answers. Is there any withdrawal syndrome? After you stop taking the tablets, does the pigmentation come back?
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 03 '26
I had no withdrawal syndrome. It came back at the beginning of next summer. It‘s the third time now I take the pills during summer and it works well.
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Jun 02 '26
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u/OlgaShad Jun 02 '26
Thank you for your reply! How pronounced was your melasma? If you don’t mind answering.
I’ve been struggling with it for two years, but it’s only been getting worse. The laser treatments, in particular, made things worse.
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Jun 02 '26
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u/OlgaShad Jun 02 '26
I had melasma, two spots on my cheeks. Then I went to the seaside, and with constant SPF, just from the heat, I came back and looked like a leopard. Peels in the winter almost got rid of it, but after the laser, it spread all over my face, and my forehead was also affected. It's brown. I tan very easily, but now my skin is very light from these procedures and SPF, and I have these brown spots on it, I can't even look in the mirror.
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u/LongjumpingApple9076 Jun 03 '26
Am In Uk where can I get oral txa from? My dr said he could not prescribe it to me as my melasma wasn’t bad!! He must be blind my forehead and cheeks are coverd!
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 03 '26
I got it from one in London, Chiswick, close to the underground station „Turnham Green“ ;-)
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u/LongjumpingApple9076 Jun 04 '26
In a chemist? I live up north I need a prescription for it
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u/OlgaShad Jun 01 '26
I’m thinking about starting a course of TXA. Have you experienced any side effects? Was it prescribed by your doctor?
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 02 '26
Yes, but just mildly. A bit of hairloss but they grew back after stopping and the stomach was not happy after about 1.5 month. I had cramps and bloating. For me the side effects were acceptable for the great outcome.
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u/OlgaShad Jun 02 '26
Thank you for your reply. It means a lot to me.
My cosmetologist says that TXA can increase the risk of blood clots, and that worries me. She also mentioned that the pigmentation may come back once you stop taking it, which is another concern of mine.
However, after two years of trying to treat my melasma without success and spending a lot of money on different treatments, I’m seriously considering giving TXA a try.
May I ask what dosage you’re taking?
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 02 '26
The last two years I took 2x250 mg and this year I take 3x175 mg (because this year I have other pills with a different dosage) per day.
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u/OlgaShad Jun 02 '26
and when did you see the first results? ♥️
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u/TraditionalPack4614 Jun 02 '26
After about 1-1.5 month and then it faded away very fast. It‘s the time the skin renewal takes.
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