Melasma Treatment - Melbourne
Fix this common pigmentary condition to clear up your skin
Too much pigment can, in fact, be a negative thing. Many women (and even some men) are affected by this condition. You may see it as either a single lesion or even as many pigmented patches. They’ll have a brown or grayish color. While there’s no pain, it can cause distress, and we want to make sure you feel comfortable in your own skin.
We use a combination approach to help treat melasma. It’s important to take a smart, scientific approach because the wrong one can actually make melasma worsen. That’s why you should rely on our expert team to guide you through the treatment process, as we take a long-term approaches with lasting results.
What else should I know about melasma?
For those with melasma, you’ll notice the brown/grayish patches through the forehead, cheeks, nose, upper lip, and the chin. Melasma is a common occurrence for women who have a natural dark skin pigmentation, although anyone can get it.
How does it happen? Like many skin conditions, the sun plays a factor. The sun can be a big trigger, even if you have a small amount of exposure.
Melasma can come in phases upon further exposure to UV rays, so you’ll see sometimes see people have more symptoms in summer months. Hormones and genetics also play a factor; a family member with melasma can be an indicator that you’re more likely to have it, too. With hormones, there can be many contributing factors, such as those with ovarian or thyroid issues, experiencing pregnancy, taking contraceptive pills, or having hormone replacement therapy. Certain drugs can also contribute to it. Suffice to say, many different factors can cause melasma, but what’s most important is having a strong treatment plan with qualified professionals.
What else should I know about treating melasma?
One thing to know is the right treatment plan matters. The wrong one can make melasma symptoms worsen, known as “rebound pigmentation” that can be darker than what you started with. You need a highly-qualified clinician with experience. They can approach this with the knowledge of how to help without making it worse.
Proper sun protection is vital for ongoing treatment (as well as removing potential triggers if needed, such as certain medications). This can help symptoms fade. We advocate this approach as well as a treatment program customized for you. Any melasma treatment will take time, for certain. But we prefer this as a long term treatment plan instead of a short term fix. You just can’t quickly treat melasma.
We can offer many treatments! A jessner peel, for example, is powerful, and we give you skin treatment creams and serums, too. This all can be highly effective to work on pigmentation evening. SPF is your friend, too!
Jessner peels work on pigmentation, and then we’ll look at your skin again to see if additional treatments are needed.