I already have melasma on my face. Will laser hair removal make melasma worse?

Hi Nic.  Yes, we have seen this issue before.  The most common interaction involving laser hair removal and Melasma is at the upper lip.  Patients that have Melasma and upper lip hair can often see a darkening of the Melasma after the laser hair removal treatment.  Generally Melasma does not get low enough on the cheeks to affect laser hair removal.  If you do move forward with laser hair removal and have the Melasma darken, hydroquinone should be able to help fade it back to where you were before treatment.  To see examples of Melasma treatment before and after photos, click on the link below.

There is a chance of hyperpigmentation with laser hair removal. Keep in mind, it will take a series of treatments. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist. Melasma needs a combination approach to get the best improvement and will need a series of treatments. In our practice, we combine Clear + brilliant, peels, microneedling/PRP, aerolase, Cosmelan, and sometimes erbium laser (coollaser) to get the best results. Melasma will need life-long maintenance. Best, Dr. Emer

Hello, thank you for your question.  The laser can definitely see the pigment from melasma and actually darken the pigment, this will more likely happen with the 755nm wavelength that is commonly used for laser hair reduction. If the YAG 1064nm wavelength is used, it is less likely to see the pigment from the melasma and has a better chance of not making the melasma worse.  The can always be a possibility that hyperpigmentation will result when providing treatment.  Bleaching creams with hydroquinone can help to lighten the pigment too.Good Luck!

Laser hair removal could make melasma worse, but there are ways to keep it under control such as using prescription bleaching agents between treatments and applying a light cortisone cream immediately after the laser in order to avoid inflammation. As you can see you need to have your laser hair removal performed by a physician with experience.