Melasma

Melasma is a condition of the skin where brown, tan, and gray discolouration appears on the skin. Most commonly on the forehead, chin, nose and above the lip.

Melasma is not a health concern but can cause emotional, social and psychological distress for some patients if left untreated.

Melasma is thought to stem from our colour making cells, called Melanocytes producing too much pigment (melanin).

Melasma is most common among women than men. It is often women who are pregnant who are more susceptible to melasma.

There are some triggers of melasma such as; pregnancy, birth control pills, stress and any other medication that affects the hormones.

Less likely but still possible triggers of melasma are medical problems such as; the thyroid or epilepsy medication.

People with skin of colour are more susceptible to melasma, this is due to their melanocytes being more active.

Patients who are experiencing melasma will notice that in places their skin appears darker in colour.

Areas of the body that is exposed to the sun can also experience melasma such as the forearms.

At Dental & Skin we offer free consultations, pop by our Islington clinic if you are concerned about your skin.

Melasma can be diagnosed by your doctor assessing your skin.

Some lifestyle questions will also be useful to help diagnose melasma.

Melasma is not a hereditary skin condition. However, it is true to say that patients experiencing melasma are likely to have a family history if other triggers do not apply to them.

Yes, there are three different types of melasma.

Epidermal Melasma: Patients experiencing this type of melasma will notice dark brown patches on their skin which have a defined border. The treatment options available for melasma work well for this type.

Dermal Melasma: Patients experiencing this type of melasma will notice lighter brown or bluish patches that are not as defined. The treatment options available for melasma are not as responsive to this type.

Mixed Melasma: Patients experiencing this type of melasma will notice bluish, light and dark patches. This is the most common type of melasma and responds well to treatment.

If patients would like an alternative to treatment there are a few things you can do to prevent or help melasma: makeup can be used to cover any discolouration, it is important to always wear sunscreen, wearing clothing that will protect you from the sun and take any medication prescribed by your doctor.

Patients can also avoid hormonal triggers such as birth control, and use sun lightening creams.

At Dental & Skin there are 3 treatment options available to help with melasma. These include; microneedling, microdermabrasion and chemical peels.

Microneedling

Microneedling is a restorative, anti-ageing facial treatment to boost the natural appearance of your skin.

Microneedling is used to correct the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, acne and uneven skin tone.

Microneedling increases the production of new collagen, by injuring the skin to create a more youthful appearance.

We will then remove all make-up and apply a numbing cream to the whole face to make sure patients have a pain free experience. The numbing cream will be left on for around the time of 5 minutes.

The next step is to begin the treatment by applying and rolling the dermapen onto the target areas. We can adjust the size of the needles to suit the patient’s skin and comfortability.

The dermapen will be rolled over the face, creating tiny injuries to the top layer of the skin. This will boost the collagen underneath to produce new and fresher skin.

Once treatment has been completed, we will massage the treated area with aloe vera.

Visit our microneedling treatment page to find out more.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a minimally invasive, chemical free, non surgical skin rejuvenation treatment.

Microdermabrasion is a mechanical skin exfoliation treatment which uses medical grade crystals to remove the top layer of the skin.

Our skin interprets this as an injury and instantly begins producing a new, refreshed layer of skin.

A diamond tip applicator is used to apply the crystals and a vacuum is used to clear them away, revealing a fresher, rejuvenated complexion.

One of the main benefits of microdermabrasion is that it is not invasive and no chemicals are used. It simply rejuvenates your skin by exfoliation.

Microdermabrasion stimulates the body’s blood flow, improving your circulation and subsequently delivering more nutrients and oxygen. This helps with improving the skin’s appearance and elasticity.

Microdermabrasion increases the absorption of other products into your skin. This is particularly useful for patients who are applying topical acne cream.

Microdermabrasion helps to unclog pores and reduce their size.

Microdermabrasion does not have any recovery time and is one of the safest procedures for rejuvenating your skin.

Treatment time is 30 minutes, this enables patients to return to their daily activities quickly.

Visit our microdermabrasion treatment page to find out more.

Chemical Peels

At Dental & Skin we offer various chemical peels; lactic acid chemical peel, glycolic acid peel, salicylic acid peel, citric acid peel, retinol peel, mendalic acid peel and phenol chemical peel.

Visit our clinic for a free consultation to find out which peel will work best for your skin.

Our doctor has a Masters in Restorative & Aesthetics, with over 10 years experience in the field.

We are passionate about what we do and strive to create the best results possible for our patients. We do this by updating our knowledge and working with our patients desired outcome.

We offer free consultations to all patients, we take our time to assess your facial structure and size of your muscles, as well as answering all your questions before treatment.

At our London Islington clinic, we work around your busy schedule with evening appointments and review appointments.