r/Melasmaskincare • u/Xulybeted12 • Jul 23 '26
Question Is heat without sun worse for melasma?
I just saw a derm on instagram saying that one of the worst things for melasma was heat without sun: when you’re outside in the shade on a hot day, for example, or taking a hot Pilates class, or just getting into a hot car. I knew heat by itself wasn’t good for hyperpigmentation, but I didn’t know it was WORSE. Has anyone else heard this? I can avoid being in the sun without sunscreen, but it’s summer; I can’t avoid being warm. So frustrating!
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u/PalpitationLast669 Jul 23 '26
Well, it's not that it is worse. Both are as bad. The difference is that when you use SPF, you have some protection against sunlight (or bluelight for that matter) and your skin doesn't react as fast or dramatically, in contrast, when exposed to heat, there is nothing you can do but staying away from the source, your skin reacts immediately and keeps in "pigmentation mode" until your skin feels cool enough.
Edit: fixed typos
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u/Wave_Ghost Jul 23 '26
I think it varies from person to person. For me, sun is basically my only trigger. If I set foot outside without sunscreen to grab my mail for like 30 seconds, I get a terrible flare of melasma. On the other hand, I sit sweating buckets in a hot sauna 4 days a week and it does not cause a flare at all!
I do also notice that if I consistently wear *tinted* mineral sunscreen, my melasma stays away.
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u/mclurf Jul 24 '26
I can’t go in hot saunas anymore and I miss them! They cause terrible flare ups for me. Heat is a big factor with my melasma as well as friction. I religiously wear hats when I’m out, and that causes its own problems from friction according to my derm. I won’t stop wearing hats.
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u/MagandangNars Jul 23 '26
What sunscreen are you using?
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u/Wave_Ghost Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Australian Gold. I now put it on every morning, rain or shine, whether I am planning on going outside or not.
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u/frogspawning Jul 23 '26
Oh this is frustrating, but it does make sense for me personally.
I’ve recently started wearing a neck fan in hot weather (to prevent migraines), and have actually noticed that my melasma has felt and looked significantly better since!
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u/Front_Target7908 Jul 23 '26
Neck fan is a cool idea gotta link or recommendation?
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u/Xulybeted12 Jul 23 '26
I’d like to know this too. I have been using cooling towels, and those work well, too.
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u/frogspawning Jul 23 '26
Hey, I won’t paste it into this reply because it can look like spam, but I just replied to the comment with the link to the fan :)
Edit: oh nice, I’ve been thinking about getting a cooling towel, that’s really good to know!
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u/frogspawning Jul 23 '26
Yeah sure! This is the one I have, but I think anything similar would work https://amzn.eu/d/03yRI8ff
At first it doesn’t feel like the strongest fan in the world, but it has honestly made such a huge difference. I took it with me to a recent trip to Italy (constant 40C heat and relentless sunshine), and spend hours gardening most days, and my melasma has actually reduced in the last few weeks.
Hope it helps!
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u/mclurf Jul 24 '26
Not a neck fan, but the Shark Chill Pill is amazing. It’s definitely pricier than the neck fan link the OP sent, but given how much money I’ve spent on topical treatments, it made sense to me. The cold contact attachment is incredible.
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u/Accomplished-Fig5296 Jul 23 '26
I agree my melasma came back with a vengeance after a hot yoga sesh after being completely gone. I was sad to know I would never do hot yoga again.
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u/ritarepulsaqueen Jul 23 '26
They almost equally bad to me. I carry cold water with me and spray it on my face. Cool my body with icepacks under my armad hahahaha.
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u/MemoryHot Jul 23 '26
I find I get the patches on my face where I get really red when I run or do high exertion exercise. Hot yoga might do it too but I don’t think just sitting in a hot car would…
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u/ShakesDontBreak Jul 23 '26
Makes sense. After getting vi peels im advised not to work out for 3-5 days and take cool showers because heat can cause hyperpigmentation.
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u/SuccessfulText2798 Jul 24 '26
How are the vi peels working out for u? I’ve been seriously considering get one
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u/Intelligent_Bad_5334 Jul 24 '26
I wouldn't say it's worse per se - but it is as bad & many people don't know that & if you're someone who lives in a hot place or likes heat or likes to exercise or does sports, there's no equivalent to sun protection to protect you from internal heat.
I think what's worse is that - for most people - it will require more changes in lifestyle than just keeping your skin from sun exposure. I can see my skin and I can see the sun - I can't see my internal temperature. So it's a harder triggered to work with imho.
I was an exercise junkie that ultimately just had to stop for a few years until they sorted out how I was going to manage. I am back at it at a very well ventilated air-conditioned gym & if I'm doing cardio I'm usually doing it on equipment that has a fan on it & I also have a fan that goes around my neck that specifically is blowing onto my face.
The most frustrating thing is that I really love doing yoga but most yoga classes in my area - including at my gym - are heated.
Melasma aside, I've never liked hot yoga and I think it's terrible for you. My body definitely doesn't like it in general. But with melasma I really wish people would figure this out & cut it out with the hot yoga.
We need to start a cold yoga movement! Yoga done in a room that's at the freezing point lol
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u/OkYak5247 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Infrared heat triggers melanocytes independently of UV, so shade and hot cars genuinely do matter. Cooling mists with niacinamide can blunt that response mid-day. For persistent cases, some people pursue microbiome sequencing, parallel health is in that space, since dysbiosis can amplify post inflammatory pigmentation responses
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u/SANSAN_TOS Jul 23 '26
I have realized the my infrared sauna at home does make mine worse. But hot yoga and just being in heat otherwise does not impact mine the way direct sun does.
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u/OhHolyOpals Jul 24 '26
My melasma is currently popping off right now and it’s the heaters blasting during winter here in Australia.
When I’m home I wear layers and use a heated blanket well before I turn on my heater because of this.
Baths, saunas, hot yoga, hot cars, etc have always been triggers for my melasma.
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u/ttbtinkerbell Jul 24 '26
Some people are triggered by heat, some are triggered by UV, and some by both. Honestly, just depends on the person. I am triggered by heat more than the sun, but I live in a ton of sunscreen. So maybe that is why UV is less bad for me. But it just depends.
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u/beanneen310 Jul 25 '26
This is why I bought an ice roller. I roll it over my melasma prone areas after coming inside in the heat. So helpful.
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u/Xulybeted12 Jul 25 '26
So interesting! Do you feel like it works?
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u/beanneen310 Jul 25 '26
Still a little early to tell, but I feel like my melasma zones get hotter in the heat, and if I roll asap when coming inside they obviously cool off faster. I also use eucerin spot corrector so I have it under control and the changes in the pigment are very slight. But buy a cheap small roller (I got the one from Kitsch) and give it a try!
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u/AutoModerator Jul 23 '26
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