What is melasma and what does it look like?

Melasma is a common skin disorder. Loosely translated, the word means “black spot.” If you have melasma you're probably experiencing light brown, dark brown and/or blue-gray patches on your skin. They can appear as flat patches or freckle-like spots. When melasma appears, it can cause tan, brown, grayish brown, or bluish gray patches and freckle-like spots. These usually appear on certain areas of face like the cheeks, forehead, chin, and even above the upper lip. While less common, melasma can develop on the arms, neck, or elsewhere.

How do you treat melasma with lasers?

In IPL for melasma, the intense pulsed light will penetrate into the deep layers of the skin. The heat will then destroy the cells with an excess of melanin and force the body to naturally produce new, healthy ones. During your treatment of IPL for melasma, you will feel higher sensitivity in the affected areas but that is only the light working. After IPL treatment of melasma, the patches will get darker but as the production of new cells begins, you will see fewer and fewer dark spots.