Does Laser Treatment Work For Melasma?
Lasers stand for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, and it uses a beam of light waves to heat and then destroys the particular skin area. The traditional treatment plans like the use of topical creams and chemical peels are common in most of the melasma patients. Still, due to the recurring nature of melasma, the patients tend to get alternative treatments. One of the alternative treatments is the use of laser and light therapy. There are several light therapies and laser treatment strategies available to reduce the appearance of dark patches occurring due to melasma. Some of the various laser treatments involve non-ablative fractionated lasers, intense pulsing light, and low influence Q-switched laser. The appearance of dark patches reduces very impressively for the melasma patient. Still, due to the recurring nature of melasma symptoms, there is a continuous need to repeat the laser treatments.
Moreover, there are some laser techniques which result in a higher risk of hypopigmentation and inflammatory skin after the treatments. The frequency and number of the treatments depend on the device type in use of the skin specialist. However, in the low influence Q-switched treatment, there is a requirement of the highest number of treatments for treating melasma. The use of fractionated laser treatment gives slightly longer intervals of remission when we compare it with other laser techniques. The use of fractional radiofrequency, laser-assisted medication delivery, and picosecond lasers are one of the promising approaches for the treatment of melasma in the future. The use of laser treatment is safer for patients, and there are fewer chances of irritation and other side effects. But the use of lasers is not always as effective as the topical cream application.