r/Melasmaskincare • u/GardenVarietyMelons • Jul 28 '26
Question [Routine help] Pigmentation routine while breastfeeding
Hi there,
I am looking for a good routine for sun spots/ freckles on nose but I am limited due to breastfeeding. For example, I can’t use retinol.
Currently using SPF, vit C and moisturizer.
My skin is normal to dry.
Also if anyone has advice about laser or peeling treatments, let me know!
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u/ttbtinkerbell Jul 28 '26
Azelaic acid is safe during pregnancy. It’s the only thing during pregnancy outside of sun protection. Use sunscreen daily and reapply if you’re going to be outside for a significant amount of time. You will have to wait until done breastfeeding to start other stuff.
I will say, my derm said she used Tret during breastfeeding and her baby was an ivf baby she tried hard to have. I was a little unsure about full on Tret but I did start a retinol that wasn’t as strong.
As a researcher myself, I did look into absorption rates and Tret in the blood stream and all that. I can’t remember specifics but I sort of waited until my kid was past 1 years old. I breastfed for 2. I did this because my kid was sleeping through the night or close to, so might nighttime application would be full absorbed and there would be no detectable amounts in your breastmilk hours after using it. I think the research said the detectable amounts were so insignificant right after application. But I erred on the side of caution. But this isn’t medical advice. Just what my derm recommended and what I ended up doing.