Melasma · Core
Your One-Step Evening Formula for Dark Spots and Uneven Texture.
Melasma · Core
Your One-Step Evening Formula for Dark Spots and Uneven Texture.
If you've been layering vitamin C serums, brightening creams, and SPF for months and still see the same spots in the mirror — this is what prescription treatment actually looks like.
Built with tranexamic acid to calm the signals that drive pigment overproduction, kojic acid to inhibit melanin formation, prescription tretinoin to accelerate cell turnover, and niacinamide to support the barrier. A non-hydroquinone formula designed for long-term tone correction — formulated for ongoing use without the limits that come with stronger brightening protocols.
Common concerns:
Designed by board-certified dermatologists. Prescribed by a board-certified dermatologist on our clinical team.
all-in, no surprises
$79/mo
Cancel anytime. Skip or delay refills.
Short assessment · Reviewed within 24 hours
The clinical team
The Dark Spot Solution Rx wasn't formulated by an algorithm or pulled from a generic template. Its protocol was designed by Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky, Dr. Mamina Turegano, and Dr. Jenny Liu — three board-certified dermatologists with combined decades of clinical experience treating women whose melasma has been mismanaged by every drugstore brightening serum they've tried.
Your prescription is then written by a board-certified dermatologist on our clinical team, working from the protocol they built. Dermatologist-built medicine, delivered to your door.
The Dark Spot Solution Rx is our gentler, long-term prescription for mild to moderate melasma and sun-related pigmentation. It uses tranexamic acid and kojic acid — both proven brightening actives — paired with prescription tretinoin and niacinamide, without the use limitations that come with hydroquinone. If your pigmentation runs deeper or has resisted other treatments, a board-certified dermatologist on your care team may route you to The Brightening Solutionᴿˣ instead.
Noticing early-stage melasma or sun-related dark spots
Looking for a gentler, long-term pigmentation correction approach
Preferring a non-hydroquinone formula for ongoing use without cycling
Dealing with hormonal pigmentation from pregnancy, birth control, or perimenopause
Ready to begin a prescription brightening routine, as confirmed during your assessment
Pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive — tretinoin is not safe during pregnancy
Dealing with deep, stubborn melasma that has not responded to other treatments — The Brightening Solutionᴿˣ may be the better fit
Looking for a prescription with hydroquinone for stronger pigment control — The Brightening Solutionᴿˣ is built for that
Using oral isotretinoin (Accutane) or have used it in the past 6 months
Already on a prescription pigmentation treatment that's working — talk to a board-certified dermatologist before changing
What to expect
The Dark Spot Solution Rx uses four ingredients that work on different stages of pigment formation: tranexamic acid calms the inflammatory signals that drive melasma; kojic acid inhibits the enzyme that produces melanin; tretinoin accelerates cell turnover to lift surface pigmentation; niacinamide reduces pigment transfer between skin cells. Because the formula skips hydroquinone, you can stay on it long-term without the on/off cycling protocols that come with stronger brightening regimens.
I had dark spots from years of sun exposure and hormonal changes. The Dark Spot Solution started working within weeks and my skin tone is so much more even now.
Maria C.
I was nervous about starting a prescription treatment for melasma. DermClick made the whole process easy and the results have been incredible. My spots have faded noticeably.
Isabel T.
After years of spending money on brightening serums that barely worked, a prescription formula through DermClick delivered the results I had been chasing for a long time.
Diana P.
Realistic timeline
Melasma treatment is slow, steady work. Pigmentation that took years to deposit doesn't lift overnight.
Here's what most patients experience with consistent nightly use plus daily SPF.
Results vary. Timelines depend on your starting skin, your formula strength, and how consistently you apply your treatment.
Weeks 1–2
Weeks 3–8
Weeks 8–16
Beyond 16 weeks
Results vary. Timelines depend on your starting skin, your formula strength, and how consistently you apply your treatment.
What's in the bottle
Four ingredients. One purpose: steady pigmentation correction, without the limits that come with stronger brightening protocols.
Active Ingredients
THE PIGMENT REGULATOR
Calms the signals that cause skin to overproduce pigment, helping fade existing dark spots and prevent new ones from forming.
THE MELANIN INHIBITOR
Inhibits melanin production to brighten uneven areas and support a more balanced, even skin tone over time.
THE CELL TURNOVER ACTIVE
Accelerates cell turnover to lift surface pigmentation and improve overall skin clarity and texture.
THE BARRIER SUPPORT
Reduces the transfer of pigment to skin cells and helps even out tone while making prescription actives more comfortable.Inactive Ingredients
THE CALMER
A clinically studied botanical that soothes irritation and supports recovery. Used in dermatology for decades. The quiet ingredient that keeps the loud ones comfortable.
THE BARRIER REPAIR
Lipids that reinforce the skin barrier and lock in moisture. With maximum-strength actives, barrier health is the limiting factor in how long you can stay on treatment. Ceramides protect the foundation.Exact concentrations are determined by a board-certified dermatologist on your care team based on your assessment, your tolerance, and your skin's history. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
Three steps. No appointments. Reviewed by a board-certified dermatologist within 24 hours.
Take our skin assessment. Share your concerns, your skin's history, what you've tried before, and a few photos. The more we know, the better the formula.
Your case is reviewed in 24 business hours, and your prescription is written by a board-certified dermatologist on our clinical team.
Tranexamic Acid
Kojic Acid
Tretinoin
NiacinamideYour formula is compounded by a licensed pharmacy and shipped to your door — usually within a week. Your dermatologist stays with you, adjusting your formula as your skin responds.
The Dark Spot Solutionᴿˣ uses tranexamic acid, kojic acid, tretinoin, and niacinamide — no hydroquinone. It's built for mild to moderate melasma and for long-term ongoing use without cycling. The Brightening Solutionᴿˣ adds hydroquinone for stronger pigment control on deeper, more stubborn melasma. Hydroquinone formulas typically require cycling protocols (use for a period, then pause) to avoid side effects from continuous use. Your assessment determines which tier fits your pigmentation.
No. The Dark Spot Solutionᴿˣ contains tretinoin, which is not safe during pregnancy or nursing. Melasma is extremely common during pregnancy (often called "the mask of pregnancy"), but it requires a pregnancy-safe approach — typically daily broad-spectrum SPF and trigger avoidance, with treatment starting after delivery and after breastfeeding ends. If you're pregnant or planning to be, contact your DermClick care team to discuss timing.
Melasma is deep, layered pigmentation that built up over years or decades. The pigment sits in the skin in layers, and lifting it requires the natural cell turnover cycle, which takes weeks. Tretinoin accelerates that cycle; tranexamic acid and kojic acid prevent new pigment from being produced; niacinamide blocks the transfer of pigment between cells. All of that together is faster than any single active alone — but it's still measured in months, not weeks.
Yes — and this is the single most important habit for melasma treatment. UV exposure is the dominant trigger for melasma, and using prescription brightening actives without daily SPF is like draining a sink with the water still running. Broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, every morning, every day (including cloudy days and indoor days near windows), is non-negotiable. Many patients also wear a wide-brimmed hat and avoid direct sun during peak hours. A board-certified dermatologist on your care team will cover the specifics during your assessment.
Most of your routine can stay. Gentle cleansers, fragrance-free moisturizers, vitamin C serum in the morning, and daily SPF all pair well with The Dark Spot Solutionᴿˣ. What you should pause: other retinoids (you're already getting prescription tretinoin), high-concentration acids (salicylic, lactic, mandelic, glycolic), and any over-the-counter brightening serum with hydroquinone. A board-certified dermatologist on your care team will review your routine during your assessment.
Melasma is chronic — it's driven by hormones, UV exposure, and genetics, and it tends to return whenever those triggers are active. The realistic goal isn't permanent elimination; it's consistent management. Most patients do best with ongoing nightly use of The Dark Spot Solutionᴿˣ plus daily SPF, with seasonal step-ups (a board-certified dermatologist on your care team may adjust your formula during high-sun months). If your melasma has been resistant to other treatments, your care team may step you up to The Brightening Solutionᴿˣ.
The Dark Spot Solution Rx handles pigmentation. But the same skin that develops melasma — hormonally driven, sun-sensitive, prone to uneven tone — often has more going on. Here are the prescriptions that pair most naturally with it.
