Spokane Photofacial doctors

	Sam Naficy, MD Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon 1110 112th Ave NE Suite 150, Bellevue		1 answer
	Joseph L. Cvancara, MD Spokane Dermatologist 1807 N Hutchinson, Spokane Valley
	Paul T. Dunn, MD Spokane Dermatologist Spokane Valley
	Benjamin Hsu, MD Spokane Dermatologist 605 E Holland Ave Ste 218, Spokane
	Staci M. Ward-Hestalen, MD Spokane Dermatologist Spokane

Recent Answers

Can Photofacials Be Used on Individuals with Melasma? I have white skin, medium tone, and tan fairly easy but can burn. I have a dark strip on my cheekbones (under where sunglasses would rest) and I think it was caused by sun exposure combined with bad sunscreen.

My dermatologist called what I have "melasma" but I thought that was only for people that have been pregnant or menopausal and neither is the case for me. I'm interested in doing a photofacial to remove this discoloration as well as my acne scarring. Would you recommend it in my case?

A: Avoid IPL to treat suspected melasma

We have not found IPL to be an effective way to treat melasma. In fact, in certain cases, IPL treatment can make the melasma appear to be worse. The best option to treat melasma is using topical bleaching creams - such as hydroquinone. However, if you truly do have melasma, you should understand that it can be very difficult to treat. You should also be especially careful about wearing sunscreen, and covering the affected areas from sun exposure (i.e. wearing hats).

Sam Naficy, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon