Melasma is a type of pigmentation that causes skin discoloration. Although it can affect anyone, studies have shown that it’s more commonly found in women, especially pregnant women and those who are consuming contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy drugs.
They appear as dark, irregular hyper pigmented patches that are commonly found on areas frequently exposed to the sun such as forehead, cheeks, nose, and lips. It’s thought to be overactive melanocytes stimulated by female sex hormones to produce more melanin pigments when the skin is exposed to the sun. Melasma doesn’t cause any symptoms. But many people dislike the way melasma makes their skin look.
People with darker skin, such as those of Latin/Hispanic, North African, African-American, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, or Mediterranean descent are more likely to get melasma. People who have a blood relative who had melasma also are much more likely to get melasma.
What causes melasma is not yet clear. It likely occurs when the color-making cells in the skin (melanocytes) produce too much color. People with skin of color are more prone to melasma because they have more active melanocytes than people with light skin.
Common melasma triggers include:
- Sun exposure: Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun stimulates the melanocytes. In fact, just a small amount of sun exposure can make melasma return after fading. It also is the main reason why many people with melasma get it again and again.
- A change in hormones: Pregnant women often get melasma. When melasma appears in pregnant women, it is called chloasma, or the mask of pregnancy. Birth control pills and hormone replacement medicine also can trigger melasma.
- Skin care products: If a product irritates your skin, melasma can worsen.
Melasma can fade on its own. This usually happens when a trigger, such as a pregnancy or birth control pills, causes the melasma. When a woman delivers her baby or stops taking the birth control pills, melasma can fade. Some people, however, have melasma for years — or even a lifetime. If the melasma does not go away or a woman wants to keep taking birth control pills, melasma treatments are available.
If medicine you apply to your skin does not get rid of your melasma, a procedure may succeed. Procedures for melasma include a chemical peel, microdermabrasion, dermabrasion, laser treatment, or a light-based procedure. Only a dermatologist should perform these procedures.
Dual Yellow Laser obtained approval from FDA for the treatment of vascular and pigmented lesion. It relies on copper bromide-based laser technology that offers multi-wavelength capability to treat a wide range of skin issues such as vascular lesions, skin pigmentation including melasma, other skin lesions such as seborrheic keratosis, and acne. It is also very effective for overall skin rejuvenation treatment to brighten skin, treat fine wrinkles, and improve skin texture. Specially designed to penetrate deep into the skin without harming surrounding tissue, Dual Yellow Laser sets the gold standard for treatment for various skin abnormalities.
Emitting unique wavelengths of 511nm and 578nm, Dual Yellow Laser corresponds well with absorption peaks for vascular and pigmented conditions. The unique wavelengths are capable of reaching the deep dermis and absorbed by the pigments without causing any collateral damage to surrounding skin. The green and yellow lights emitted by the Dual Yellow Laser are effective for treating and clearing melasma. It works by curbing the production of melanin at the source. In other words, Dual Yellow Laser does not only treat melasma, it also reduces the production of melanin, so the recurrence rate is low.
Unlike most other laser treatments where micro-wounds are created on the skin surface, Dual Yellow Laser is a gentle laser treatment that does not break the skin surface. This makes the treatment very comfortable, even without any numbing cream. Furthermore, heat is scattered and dispersed at the skin surface, leading to a vast reduction in discomfort.
The downtime is minimal as Dual Yellow Laser treatment is a non-invasive treatment that does not break the skin surface. In fact, you will notice that your skin becomes brighter after the treatment. For people with extremely sensitive skin, you may experience mild redness for a few hours. You should be able to resume your daily activities on the same day.
Dual Yellow Laser is best for people suffering from dull, unattractive skin with severe pigmentation such as melasma, lesions, and acne. This treatment will greatly benefit people with recurring melasma, stubborn acne, bulky lesions, and vascular lesions. Dual Yellow Laser treatment is also a perfect laser treatment for people seeking skin brightening and overall rejuvenation of the skin.
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