Melasma
Quick Facts
- Melasma is a form of pigmentation stimulated by oestrogen and UV exposure
- It appears as brown-grey patches on the cheeks, upper lip, between the brows, and forehead.
- Underlying causes of melasma, such as the oral contraceptive pill, need to be addressed firstly
- Sunscreens, lightening agents, laser treatments and chemical peels can be used to treat melasma
- If treated inappropriately, melasma can actually worsen.
What is melasma?
The next step is daily sun protection, and this is paramount in the treatment of melasma. UV radiation is a key factor that exacerbates melasma, and often those affected with melasma first notice it appear during or after a summer where they have had significant UV exposure.
Other lasers or IPL are often used in the treatment of melasma, however, they are often unsuited to this treatment, and cause worsening of the pigmentation. This occurs when excessive heat/energy is transferred to the skin by the laser/IPL and this causes inflammation which leads to the formation of extra pigmentation. The Medlite q-switched laser has extremely short pulses which deliver minimal heat energy to the skin, and therefore have more of a mechanical effect on the pigmentation rather than a heating effect on the pigmentation. This mechanical effect allows the breakdown of pigmentation without heating the skin and worsening of the pigmentation.
Finally, chemical peels can help speed the process of improvement from melasma by helping with skin turnover, and by helping to shift the melanin deposits from the affected area. Usually light chemical peels are used, as stronger chemical peels can often stimulate new pigmentation production.
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Melasma case study 1
This patient presents with melasma over her cheeks, chin, and forehead.
She also has some acne present. Normally, she wears sunscreen daily,
and is careful to avoid excessive sun exposure. The 'after' photos are
the result of one month's treatment with Kligman's formula. Note the
improvement in the melasma/pigmentation in all areas. Also of note is
the improvement in acne, which is most likely due to the retinoic acid present in Kligman's formula. Retinoic acid can help to exfoliate the skin and
improve acne.
Melasma case study 2
This is a before and after picture of a female
with melasma on her upper lip that was treated for 6 months with
Kligman's formula only.
Melasma case study 3
This was a 40 year old female of indian origin who presented with melasma affecting both cheeks. She was treated for 2 months with Kligman's formula and weekly Medlite laser treatments at 1064nm. There was considerable improvement in the pigmentation, and she also experienced an improvment in the skin texture and smoothness as a result of the laser treatments.
Why choose The Victorian Cosmetic Institute as your provider of melasma treatments?
Melasma is a difficult condition to treat, and treated improperly, can often be made worse. At The Victorian Cosmetic Institute, we specialise in the treatment of pigmentation problems such as melasma, and we have access to a wide range of treatment modalities, including prescription lightening creams, lasers and chemical peels.Making that first phone call about any cosmetic
procedure can be a confronting task - many of our patients have
preferred filling out our online enquiry form. We can then contact you
with an understanding of the results you are hopeful of achieving and
ensure the treatment is appropriate.
Otherwise, you can phone us directly on (03) 8850 0655 (Templestowe) or (03) 9707 0888 (Berwick).
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