• Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Articles
    • Skin Care Tips
    • Videos
  • Location
  • Contact
  • 908-754-0770
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Center For Dermatology & Laser Skin Surgery

Edison, NJ Dermatology

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Articles
    • Skin Care Tips
    • Videos
  • Location
  • Contact
  • 908-754-0770

Finally, a More Effective Treatment for Melasma

July 9, 2021 //  by Dr. Robert Paull, MD//  1 Comment

Melasma can be frustratingly difficult to treat for all the reasons I highlighted in my last blog post. But there’s growing optimism that that might not always be the case.

New research indicates that energy-free microneedling, typically in conjunction with potent fade creams and strict sun avoidance, can be an effective treatment for melasma across all skin tones. Let’s get into how it works and why.

Finally, a More Effective Treatment for Melasma

How it works

Lasers are generally great for eviscerating excess melanin. But the heat they generate can make melasma worse, triggering the formation of even more discoloration in the weeks following treatment. By contrast, mechanical microneedling generates no such heat.

Through a series of clean, controlled punctures, microneedling is able to reach the deeper dermis that’s often affected by melasma. There, via its healing mechanisms, we’re essentially forcing the surrounding skin to make brand-new skin that hasn’t yet been agitated by hormones or the sun.

Exactly how deep the punctures are will depend on a few factors: the location of the pigment, the patient’s susceptibility to creating more melanin as a result of inflammation (also known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH), the overall sensitivity of the skin, and the amount of downtime a patient’s willing to endure.

That said, the greatest improvement generally results from varying the depth of the punctures across the face, based on the depth of the pigment that’s being targeted and the thickness of the skin (the cheeks can tolerate a deeper puncture than the nose or around the eyes).

In a new study – a review of 459 melasma patients from seven different countries – researchers found that “topical therapy with microneedling improved melasma severity with a large effect,” with the best results seen at 12 weeks. The key phrase is “topical therapy with melasma.” On its own, said one of the study’s coauthors, microneedling doesn’t help.

The other part of the equation

Lighteners enter the equation at different phases. First, dermatologists will usually have patients “pretreat” their skin for two weeks prior to microneedling with a bleaching cream – either a prescription-strength hydroquinone or a formula that contains hydroquinone plus a retinoid and low-dose corticosteroid.

Then, during the microneedling, active ingredients are inserted into the punctures as soon as they’re made or slathered on the treated skin right after. Every dermatologist has their own preferred formulation, but most include some combination of tranexamic acid, glutathione, vitamin C, and niacinamide, most of which are traditionally administered intravenously. Platelet-rich plasma is also popular.

Most patients will undergo several sessions, spaced four to six weeks apart. For the first few days after each treatment, it’s a good idea to use only gentle cleansers, healing ointments, and mineral sunscreens. 

As with most medical procedures – and this should certainly be considered one – there is the potential for complications, which makes it all the more important to seek out a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience administering topical therapy with microneedling.

Spread the love

Category: Skin Care Tips From Dr. Paull

Previous Post: «Why is Melasma So Difficult to Treat? Why is Melasma So Difficult to Treat?
Next Post: New Study Underlines the Potentially Devastating Effects of Sun Damage New Study Underlines the Potentially Devastating Effects of Sun Damage»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nora

    May 26, 2022 at 12:26 am

    Wondering if you could tell me the percentages of the formulation for micro-needling are.? Ive tried so many things in combination

    most currently Im using Niacinamide/ Tranexamic acid/ Tretinoin 8/0.1/4/1%

    I have never applied after microneedling thoug.

    Thank you
    Nora

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Our Location

TCM Plaza Suite B7
Edison, New Jersey 08820

P 908-754-0770
F 908-754-4731

Located at the intersection of Inman Ave. and Progress St. across from the Inman Grove Shopping Center and the Edison Senior Citizen’s Residence.


Current patient office hours are:

Tuesday 9 AM – 7 PM
Wednesday 12 PM – 5 PM
Thursday 9 AM – 12 PM
Saturday 9 AM – 2 PM [Every Other Saturday]

Office is open for scheduling and questions every day from 9 am until 1 pm and during scheduled office hours.

Follow Us

Recent Articles

Struggling With Persistent Itchy Rashes? A Patch Test Could Reveal their Source (Part 1)

If you have sensitive skin and you tend to react dramatically to new skincare or haircare products – red, itchy skin or a rash that can take weeks to clear up – you might benefit from a patch test, …

More Skin Care Tips

© 2023 · Robert M. Paull, M.D. • 4 Progress Street, Suite B7 Edison, New Jersey 08820 • Maintained and Developed by Trinity Web Media a NJ WordPress Company