Problem started after taking doxy & OBCyrs ago. I have the classic butterfly all over cheeks, plus large spots on nose bridge, upper lip, & all over my forehead; only chin is spared. I am religious about no sun & use only zinc+ sunblock every day; been on hydroqu 2%, then 4, now 8% compounded plus Retin A etc for ~1.5 yrs. I have my daughter's wedding in 4 mos. Would chem peel &/or laser work for deep pigment; if the latter, which types are best for olive skin? I am wary RE: even worse outcome. Thanks!
Answer: Melasma Treatments Greetings, please see below. Melasma is a condition which requires multiple steps and treatments to effectively improve the condition consistently over time. In our office, here are steps which are effective:
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CONTACT NOW Answer: Melasma Treatments Greetings, please see below. Melasma is a condition which requires multiple steps and treatments to effectively improve the condition consistently over time. In our office, here are steps which are effective:
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CONTACT NOW May 18, 2014
Answer: Melarase creams to the face for melasma In our office, we utilize the Melarase AM and Melarase PM creams as the most effective modality for skin lightening related to melasma on the face. Raffy Karamanoukian MD FACS
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CONTACT NOW May 18, 2014
Answer: Melarase creams to the face for melasma In our office, we utilize the Melarase AM and Melarase PM creams as the most effective modality for skin lightening related to melasma on the face. Raffy Karamanoukian MD FACS
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December 31, 2013
Answer: Melasma Options Hi Joana. If you are on 8% HQ now, we would not go any higher. In addition, there is some concern about long term uninterrupted use of high strength HQ. In our practice, when patients use any HQ over 4%, we require that they take 1 month off after being on the product for 3 months. As an option for a short term fix, there are some peels out there, VI, Cosmelan, BLUe, etc that may be able to help you prepare for the wedding. None of these are permanent solutions, but it may be possible to help you look better short term. It would not be advisable to do these closer than 2 weeks from the wedding just in case you have a bad reaction.Regarding lasers, we would not advise that you use any lasers for Melasma at any time. We know from having treated hundreds of Melasma patients that many have tried Fraxel, Q-switched lasers, IPL and the like. A full 50% of these patients end up having their Melasma worsen, even in situations where it improved initially. We do not recommend lasers or IPL for Melasma for this reason.
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CONTACT NOW December 31, 2013
Answer: Melasma Options Hi Joana. If you are on 8% HQ now, we would not go any higher. In addition, there is some concern about long term uninterrupted use of high strength HQ. In our practice, when patients use any HQ over 4%, we require that they take 1 month off after being on the product for 3 months. As an option for a short term fix, there are some peels out there, VI, Cosmelan, BLUe, etc that may be able to help you prepare for the wedding. None of these are permanent solutions, but it may be possible to help you look better short term. It would not be advisable to do these closer than 2 weeks from the wedding just in case you have a bad reaction.Regarding lasers, we would not advise that you use any lasers for Melasma at any time. We know from having treated hundreds of Melasma patients that many have tried Fraxel, Q-switched lasers, IPL and the like. A full 50% of these patients end up having their Melasma worsen, even in situations where it improved initially. We do not recommend lasers or IPL for Melasma for this reason.
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January 16, 2014
Answer: Melasma Treatment Pigmentation is difficult to treat especially for olive skin;
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January 16, 2014
Answer: Melasma Treatment Pigmentation is difficult to treat especially for olive skin;
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January 2, 2014
Answer: Difficult melasma in olive skin Treating melisma in individuals with darker skin is always delicate. I believe using stronger than 4% hydroquinone with tretinoin is not likely to produce better results. First and foremost is daily sunblock with greater than a 50 SPF, even a small amount of sun will undo the best efforts. Secondly there are other agents that can be added such as Elure and Niacin which inhibit pigment formation. Lastly things can be sped up by very cautious use of Intense Pulsed light on low energy settings about every 3-4 weeks. Peels can sometimes worsen matters by causing post inflammatory pigmentation.
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January 2, 2014
Answer: Difficult melasma in olive skin Treating melisma in individuals with darker skin is always delicate. I believe using stronger than 4% hydroquinone with tretinoin is not likely to produce better results. First and foremost is daily sunblock with greater than a 50 SPF, even a small amount of sun will undo the best efforts. Secondly there are other agents that can be added such as Elure and Niacin which inhibit pigment formation. Lastly things can be sped up by very cautious use of Intense Pulsed light on low energy settings about every 3-4 weeks. Peels can sometimes worsen matters by causing post inflammatory pigmentation.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
