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Melasma Essay example

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Melasma is a skin disorder that appears as irregular brown skin patches on the cheeks, nose, forehead and upper lip. Melasma is not dangerous, but can impair your appearance, personality and self confidence. Various options of treatment are available and dermatologists found the melasma laser treatment to be effective of all. Causes of melasma: Melasma is caused due to an over production of melanin. Melanin is the substance that imparts color to the skin. The exact cause for this type of hyperpigmentation is not known. However, the main four factors that contribute to melasma are hormone, genetics, skin inflammation and sun exposure. Intense exposure to sun can worsen the problem. Pregnancy and menopause also can trigger melasma. It …show more content…

The laser skin resurfacing treatment for melasma generally requires a single treatment session with a healing period of one week. It takes between 15 minutes to one hour for the whole process depending on the location and size of the damaged area. Melasma laser treatment is a better alternative for those where the other remedies have proved ineffective. Melasma laser resurfacing treatment is gaining popularity as it produces dramatic results with a short healing time. YAG laser treatment: The YAG laser imparts intense, short pulses of light. These light pulses are targeted to the melanin pigment in the cells that are affected by melasma. The surrounding skin is not affected with this melasma laser treatment. These treatments are given with topical lightening treatments to be used few weeks prior the laser treatments and also continued after the laser treatments. Intense Pulsed light treatment: In intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, a hand laser is allowed to pass over the skin that targets the melanin. This form of melasma laser treatment works best on the epidermal melasma type. The light energy heats up the melanin cells and destroys them. Before going for IPL treatment for melasma, consult your doctor regarding your type of melasma and also determine whether IPL treatment is suitable for you. If you decide to undergo melasma laser treatment, then choose an experienced dermatologist for the treatment. Your doctor

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