Melasma is a common skin condition characterized by dark patches on the skin, most commonly on the face. Melasma is most common in adult females with moderate skin color, for example Asians, Central and South Americans, and Mediterranean people.
Melasma is often triggered by sun exposure, and is often associated with pregnancy as well. Note however, that melasma is not the same as sun damage or sun spots, which are more common in aging adults with light skin, both males and females.
Fortunately, melasma itself is not harmful, but because it tends to occur in a visible area (the face), many people would like to improve its appearance. Unfortunately, melasma is not curable, but it can be controlled.
Melasma Treatment Options
Treatment includes bleaching agents such as hydroquinone, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and lasers…all of which are available at Althea! Which to use? Different people may have different preferences and may respond better to different techniques. A bleaching product may seem less expensive, but if it has to be used continually and still does not give you the result you want, then it may end up costing more. At Althea we have a slight preference for laser melasma treatments, which we believe in many cases are cleaner, safer, faster, and more effective than the alternatives.
The Lutronic Spectra laser that we use at Althea is the first laser to be cleared by the FDA for melasma treatment. Melasma typically disappears after around six weekly treatments. The treatments take an hour or less, are not painful, and there is no downtime. Then return for maintenance sessions as needed.
We’ll make sure that you never experience any inconveniences resulting from your treatments, giving you consistent results without complications.
PIH (Post Inflammatory Pigmentation)
Post Inflammatory Pigmentation (PIH) bears a superficial resemblance to melasma but is caused by different factors. Inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis, burns including sunburn, traumas including wounds, injury, and surgery, and specific medications can all cause PIH. It is important to find out and remove the cause of the PIH before a treatment can succeed.
As with melasma, PIH is more common in medium to dark skin, but it occurs equally in men and women of any age. Superficial PIH, such as some acne-related PIH, on light to medium skin can be treated with IPL, but in most cases the Lutronic Spectra Q-switched laser is the best laser to use.
Unlike melasma, once PIH has been removed, it normally will not recur, unless there is a new insult to the skin that causes a new occurrence.
Choose Any Melasma Removal Treatment
Whether you choose laser melasma treatment, melasma peel, or other treatments, you’ll be able to get what works best for you here at Althea MedSpa. We’ll help determine which treatment is ideal and give you what you need to effectively remove all melasma.
Need more than melasma removal? Althea MedSpa offers many other services for a variety of skin conditions, including acne and acne scar removal, microneedling, callus peels, skin rejuvenation, SculpSure body contouring, and more. You can contact us at any time to discuss your needs, and we’ll set up an appointment for any of our services.
You’ll be able to get the best treatment available for melasma and other conditions when you turn to Althea MedSpa today.