I'm so upset because my freckles and blemishes have noticeably increased, perhaps due to UV rays.

As the weather gets warmer and I spend more time outdoors, and perhaps because I get hit squarely in the sun while driving, I’ve developed a ton of dark spots on my cheekbones that I never had before. Back in my 20s, I prided myself on having a clear skin tone even if I just applied sunscreen haphazardly, but now that I’m past my mid-30s, even the slightest exposure to UV rays causes marks to appear immediately. Every time I wash my face and look in the mirror in the morning, the widely spread melasma and blemishes make me look so much older, and it’s just so, so upsetting.

I used to go to work wearing just a lightweight cushion foundation, but now that I have to apply multiple layers of concealer to cover up hyperpigmentation, my base makeup has become incredibly thick and feels suffocating. No matter how expensive or high-coverage cosmetics I use, that distinctive patchy look just won't go away completely, so I finally decided to look into laser treatments for pigmentation. Haha. It definitely seems like there are clear limits to managing melasma and blemishes with home care products, and laser treatments at a dermatology clinic are the answer.

After thoroughly reading through the community posts, I realized there are so many types of pigment lasers, and the prices for 10-session packages vary wildly from clinic to clinic. I'm really struggling to decide whether to go to a cheap, mass-produced clinic or pay a little more to go to a place where the doctor provides thorough care. Honestly, since it doesn't just disappear in one session and you have to go consistently to see results, I really can't ignore the cost.

Still, I think having a clear and clean base complexion is the top priority to confidently go out without makeup, so I’m planning to take this opportunity to properly invest in my skin haha. I’m going to tour several clinics, get consultations with doctors, and carefully select the laser that is the perfect fit for my specific type of pigmentation hehe. If anyone has recently signed up for a laser package for melasma and blemishes and seen clear results, please let me know the approximate cost or information on recommended equipment 😭 I’ll keep getting consistent treatments until I get smooth skin like a peeled egg, and I’ll come back later to write a review about completely conquering melasma and blemishes haha. Everyone, make sure to apply sunscreen!