Dark Patches and Pigmentation? You might actually have Melasma.

Posted by Dr. Serife Gokce (Pharm.D.)

Melasma is a significant skin condition affecting many people around the world. It is a pigmentary disorder that is character­ised by poorly defined, dark brown patches on sun exposed areas, such as the face, back, and arms. This hyperpigmentation condition affects millions of people worldwide, most whom are women. It can lead to considerable embarrassment, distress and never-ending makeup cover.
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The cause of melasma is complex, however the pigmentation condition is mainly due to an overproduction of melanin by the melanocytes (pigment producing cells) within skin. In some cases, there is a genetic predisposition to melasma, with at least one-third of clients reporting other family members to be affected. In most people melasma is a chronic disorder of the skin with the condition lasting for years.

Known triggers for melasma include:

• Sun exposure and sun damage: this is the most important avoidable risk factor
• Pregnancy: in affected women, the pigment often fades a few months after delivery, if not, then it may become a lasting condition.
• Hormone treatments: oral contraceptive pills containing oestrogen and/or progesterone, hormone replacement, intrauterine devices and implants are a factor in about a quarter of affected women
• Certain medications (including new targeted therapies for cancer), scented or deodorant soaps, toiletries and cosmetics: these may cause a phototoxic reaction that triggers an inflammatory response within skin and initial stages of melisma may occur, which may then persist long term
• Hypothyroidism (low levels of circulating thyroid hormone)

Melasma is quite difficult to treat, especially on the face. Treatment regimens such as topical depigmenting agents in cream forms, such as hydroquinone, tretinoin and corticosteroid , chemical peels and fractional non-ablative light laser technologies have shown very limited results. Other laser based therapies including IPL laser treatments have failed or worsen the condition because of excessive thermal damage leading to inflammation induced stimuli on the affected area tissues. However, one clinically proven method has provided a safe, alternative and highly effective solution for the majority of clients in the battle of melasma clearance.

Q-switched Nd:YAG laser technology has been proved to be better than other conventional treatment method and is the most suitable option for all skin types. It is the only approved laser method by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for dermal and epidermal pigment clearance. Currently, Q-Switched Nd:YAG lasers provide a method of targeting both the superficial melasma pigment deposits and melasma that is rooted deeper in the dermis. This treatment is called Laser Toning and the technology selectively causes a photoacoustic effect on pigment structures by using low fluence energy with minimum to no thermal damage to tissues surrounding skin cells, unlike other previous laser technologies.

It is safe and effective, with no down-time, as we the client can go back to work as soon as we the treatment session is complete promising for those who have tried everything but have not been able to obtain the right results and the procedure is quick and pain free.

Adverse reactions could unlikely happen occur as the procedure is very safe on all skin types due to its non-thermal properties. However, some may experience and partial hypopigmented macules (temporary loss of skin colour). With time, these temporary effects do resolve and completely disappear, causing no particular problems after one or two days. 

This technology has been available for many years but is a highly specialised treatment that should only be taken up by well-known clinics and experienced clinicians. This method is fundamentally different from conventional laser treatments for pigmentation clearance and skin brightening.

In short, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser method (also called Laser Toning) with short pulse width and low energy demonstrates better treatment effects than other conventional treatment methods. This treatment method is a new yet well proven concept in melasma clearance and is described with characteristics such as selective–photoacoustic damage to excess melanin structures in skin and emits minimum to no and/or inflammation reaction to affected skin by pigmentation. 

Fore more information about Laser Toning, click here:
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Author: Dr Serife Gokce (Pharm. D.)

Serife is a Doctor in Pharmacology and highly experienced in many medical and health fields including Dermatology, Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical Regulation and Quality Control. Her passions are in metabolic disorders, cosmeceuticals and Health/Well-Being. Serife has traveled the world, adapting to various fields within prominent pharmaceutical companies and providing first hand advice to professionals and patients regarding preventative medicine and and cosmeceuticals.