Melasma, Hyperpigmentation & Sun Damage

This can vary depending on the size density of melanin and depth of the affected area. Typically melasma will lighten or disappear completely after 3–5 treatments although in some cases more treatments may be necessary.

One treatment should be completed every 3–4 weeks.

Melasma is a very common patchy brown, tan, or blue-gray facial skin discoloration, primarily seen on the upper cheeks, lip, forehead and chin of women 20–50 years of age. Melasma is commonly begins during pregnancy and often does not go away afterwards. .

People with olive or darker skin, such as Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern individuals, have higher incidences of melasma. Hormone changes from pregnancy and Sunlight exposure are considered the trigger of melasma, especially in individuals with a genetic predisposition to this condition.

Typically, melasma will slowly lighten over the course of the next few days to weeks as the pigmented area is slowly absorbed into the skin by your body’s natural healing process. In some cases, the pigment will darken before becoming lighter. In the event that any crusting or scabbing occurs, it is important to always keep the area moist as to reduce the risk of scarring.

Melasma is typically characterized by having up and down periods where the symptoms heighten and lessen. While the laser light can help lighten or completely rid of the pigmentation, factors such as sun exposure, hormones and your genetic disposition can play a role in a recurrence of the symptoms.

Some patients may not respond as well as others. Key factors in terms of treatment response are whether there is a sufficient melanin in the affected area, the depth of the lesion, and further sun exposure. Regardless of the treatment response, recurrence is common and can be caused by factors such as sun exposure, genetic disposition and hormones. It is important to understand that melasma, is a chronic condition that must be controlled rather than cured.

Patients that should not be treated with Aerolase Neo Elite include:

• Those who are pregnant.
• Those who are sunburned or have irritated skin in the sites to be treated.
• Those who are exhibiting unidentified skin conditions in the sites to be treated.
• Those who have healed poorly after other types of laser treatments.
• Patients prone to skin discoloration.
• Patients who are taking photosensitizing medication, such as Accutane, should consider discontinuing the medication 6 months before treatment.
• Patients who are using topical Retin-A, patients should wait 2 weeks before treatment
• Raised lesions should first be checked by a dermatologist
• Patients who are sunburned should wait until the burn subsides.
• Herpes Simplex Labialis (HSV, cold sores, fever blisters) can be activated by laser treatment, especially on the upper lip, and patients with a tendency for fever blistering can be started on antiviral medication before treatment.

No. Anesthetics and cooling gels are not needed with Neo Elite, because MicroPulse-1064 makes it uniquely pain-free. However, some buildup of heat will be experienced and slight pinching may be felt at times, but in general it is a tolerable treatment. This unique benefit saves time, cost and mess by eliminating gels and sprays required by other lasers that cool the skin during treatment.

No, there is just a mild, very tolerable sensation of heat. This is one of the key technical breakthroughs of Aerolase technology. The Neo Elite has set a new standard for virtually pain-free treatment, even on darker skin types, thanks to MicroPulse-1064 technology.

Actually, the Neo Elite is the safest laser in the industry for darker skin types or tanned skin. This is because of MicroPulse-1064 technology, which essentially eliminates treatment pain while minimizing the chances of hyper- and/ or hypo-pigmentation.

The number of treatments as well as results vary from patient to patient and also depends on what you’re being treated for.