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Melasma is a common skin problem that affects millions of people in the United States. While most cases of melasma are short-term and fade away on their own, some people may have melasma spots that can stay for several years – or even the rest of their lives. This can be an area of insecurity, especially if it develops in prominent areas on your face or body.
At Dr. V Medical Aesthetics, we provide various cosmetic treatments to effectively minimize the appearance of melasma spots and develop a flawless, even skin tone. Rather than resorting to invasive plastic surgery procedures like skin grafting, we can remove the damaged skin and promote newer and healthier skin growth with a solution that works best for your condition.
Our state-of-the-art equipment, coupled with our team of skilled professionals and caring staff, can use the latest techniques to treat your melasma spots and minimize its effects. We offer safe, minimally-invasive, and exceptional services to enhance your natural appearance.
Melasma is a skin condition that causes hyperpigmentation, leaving brown or gray patches to appear on your skin. These dark spots commonly develop on your face, especially around your nose bridge, forehead, cheeks, or upper lip. However, in some cases, skin discoloration can also appear in different body parts like your forearms, neck, and shoulder. These are caused by your melanocytes, which are responsible for your skin’s pigmentation.
For some people, melasma treatment isn’t necessary since it can fade away on its own. Factors like pregnancies or medications that can affect hormone production (e.g. birth control pills) can trigger developing melasma, but your brown spots can fade after giving birth or after you stop taking medication. Using skincare products that irritate your skin can also cause adverse reactions like melasma.
Others, however, can experience melasma spots that stick around for years or are permanently fixed into your skin. These can be caused by sun exposure, genetics, conditions that affect your skin’s melanocyte production, or taking hormone-affecting medications that you can’t stop taking for medical issues.
Dermatologists may recommend topical medications to treat melasma. A combination of hydroquinone, corticosteroids, tretinoin, kojic acid, and other topical creams may be used. But for some, these skincare products may be ineffective because of how melasma affects the skin cells in the area. If this is the case, your best solution is to have aesthetic treatments to minimize the appearance of melasma.
Melasma can be spotted by the visible discolored patches of skin around your face and body. Because of factors like pregnancies hormone changes, women are more likely to experience melasma than men. People with darker skin types are also more likely to develop melasma, since they have more melanocytes (the cells responsible for skin color) than those with lighter skin.
While this is the only symptom, it can affect how you look, which can be a point of concern for people who want to look their best. If you notice hyperpigmentation spots that appear to be melasma, schedule an appointment with Dr. V Medical Aesthetics for a consultation. Our medical professionals can diagnose your condition and provide you with different melasma treatment options, depending on your condition and how long you’ve had melasma.
Some melasma patients may benefit from topical medications. But if these are ineffective or you’ve had melasma for several years, aesthetic treatments may be your best solution. At Dr. V Medical Aesthetics, we offer several possible procedures that can treat your skin condition and recommend the best treatment option depending on your skin type, health, and other medical conditions.
Dermabrasion works by using an abrasive device to peel away the uppermost layers of the skin, including dead skin cells, the dark patches affected by melasma, and its surrounding healthy skin. This is a more invasive process that can treat deeply-rooted melasma spots and make way for newer skin cells free of blemishes.
By removing the top layer of your skin's surface, you're able to clear away hyperpigmented skin cells by removing brown patches and bringing forward newer skin cells free of blemishes. This may require a longer downtime period compared to other melasma treatments, but this option allows you to get down to the deeper root of your melasma, remove any affected skin cells, and replace it with flawlessly healthy cells.
Microdermabrasion is a less intense version of dermabrasion. Rather than removing deeper layers of both damaged and regular skin cells, microdermabrasion only targets the skin cells affected by melasma. It’s less invasive and treats melasma at a more superficial level.
For epidermal melasma that has only recently appeared on your face and isn’t as deep as dermal melasma, microdermabrasion may be the better alternative to provide effective results without you having to undergo longer downtime. This process simply exfoliates your skin with a gentle abrasion to minimize the appearance of melasma, rather than replacing all the existing skin cells that make your spots more visible.
Chemical peels are an acidic treatment that safely remove the top layers of your skin in areas affected by melasma and the skin surrounding it. These get rid of the discolored skin cells and promote your skin’s natural healing process to produce newer, healthier skin in its place.
While there are DIY chemical peels available, these are very superficial and don’t have the same strength and effectiveness that our medical spa can provide. Depending on the severity of your melasma, we can use mild, light chemical peels or deep chemical peels that can remove damaged skin cells rooted deeper in your skin layers. Light chemical peels involve little to no downtime, but deeper peels can require up to three weeks of recovery.
Laser therapy uses advanced laser technology to perform two things: remove the upper layers of skin affected by melasma, and trigger your skin’s natural healing process. By removing the outer layers of skin, laser treatments can get rid of older, damaged skin cells that are discolored by melasma. This can give way to newer skin cells with your actual skin tone, giving you a flawless complexion when it heals.
Getting laser treatment for melasma is best for those who want to speed up the healing process. The laser’s heat stimulates collagen and elastin production, which can give your skin a younger, firmer appearance and a healthy glow. At Dr. V Medical Aesthetics, we use state-of-the-art lasers that can be applied to patients, regardless of skin tone or hair color.
Melasma isn’t a life-threatening condition and is not cancerous or something that can develop into skin cancer. However, some skin cancers may be overlooked as melasma, so having it checked by a medical professional is a good way to detect if it is a more serious concern.
Melasma, however, can be a point of insecurity for many as hyperpigmentation can appear in unflattering areas. While some can fade and others can be treated with topical skincare products, not everyone’s spots can go away that easily. Through our aesthetic treatments, you get experienced medical professionals, state-of-the-art equipment, and the best practices in the industry to help you re-develop flawless skin.
Anyone with melasma can seek treatment for their spots. If you’ve had melasma spots for a long time, you might want to seek aesthetic treatments to reduce the appearance of your spots through various treatments.
However, each treatment has their own type of ideal candidate, side effects, and recovery period, so not all of them may be the best option for you. For instance, deep chemical peels may not be the best option for those with sensitive skin, while dermabrasion can involve a longer recovery period.
To know which among the melasma treatments are best for you, schedule an initial consultation. Our aesthetic doctors can understand your condition better and determine which route is the best option for your condition and the severity of your melasma.
A: Melasma is caused by your melanocytes, which are the part of your skin cells responsible for creating an even skin tone. This means home remedies may not be as effective at improving the appearance of melasma as topical treatment options or aesthetic treatments. However, melasma can be recurring, so practices like using topical medication, wearing sunscreen, using sun protection, and using a mild skin care product that’s right for your skin type can help prevent triggering your melasma.
A: Melasma is determined by discolored patches of skin found on your face, though it can also appear on body parts like your arms and neck that are frequently exposed to sunlight. Doctors can determine if you have melasma during a visual examination, though they may also perform a small biopsy or use a Wood’s light to check if it is melasma.
A: Like many other aesthetic treatments, there may be some common side effects that can temporarily cause minor discomfort. This ultimately depends on which melasma treatment you choose to treat your condition. For instance, deep chemical peels can cause scabbing and swelling, while microdermabrasion can result in dry skin and skin irritation. Our doctors can recommend the best aftercare practices for each type of melasma treatment to minimize the side effects.
At Dr. V Medical Aesthetics, we want to give our patients their desired appearance by minimizing the appearance of blemishes like melasma. Our medical spa has the experience, skill, and equipment you need to best treat your face and body and give you the solution to unsightly spots.
Contact Dr. V Medical Aesthetics today to schedule an initial consultation. We can provide you with an effective treatment plan specifically designed to minimize skin problems like melasma and bring forward a younger, flawless version of yourself that you can feel comfortable in.
