How should I start treating melasma?

Every time I look in the mirror, the pigmentation on my face becomes a little more noticeable. At first, I thought it was just a few blemishes, but looking closely, there are areas around both cheekbones that look like stains, and they feel even more distinct when I'm not wearing makeup. It's somewhat manageable if I cover them with concealer, but it is a hassle to cover them up every day.

So I’m trying to properly look into melasma treatment, but there are far more options than I expected. There are various types of lasers and many varieties of toning treatments, so I don’t know which one to choose. While I see people online saying their condition improved after treatment, I also see stories of the pigmentation actually getting darker, so it’s hard for me to make a decision right away.

My skin is particularly sensitive to irritation, so rather than undergoing strong treatments multiple times, I would like to find an appropriate method based on my current skin condition. I have also heard that melasma treatment requires consistent care rather than just one or two sessions, so I am curious to know how long I should actually expect to take.

For those who have received melasma treatment, I would also like to know what diagnosis you received when you first visited the clinic. It seems that just because it looks like melasma on the surface but could actually be a different type of pigmentation, you shouldn't necessarily start with toning.

If anyone has actually undergone melasma treatment, I am curious to know how many sessions you received and whether your skin became sensitive during the procedure. I am also curious about the cost, but above all, I would like to hear your experiences regarding whether the melasma recurs after treatment and what kind of daily care you combined with it.