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Dark spots, age spots, sunspots, liver spots, freckles, hyperpigmentation patches—There are a few common reasons why these discoloration in the skin may form.
Feb 11, 2020
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Melasma is a frustrating and emotionally draining skin condition for as many as five million Americans. If you’re one of them, you know how stressful it can be to manage something that is still so little understood, particularly when symptoms tend to flare up most due to environmental or hormonal factors, both of which you have little control over. Sure, melasma may fade over time, but it’s difficult to give up control in hopes that the condition will resolve itself—particularly if inaction may cause its appearance to worsen.
For those interested in taking control over their melasma, this guide offers an overview to help you better understand the condition, its causes, and how you can reduce its appearance while preventing further skin damage.
Melasma is a form of hyperpigmentation, which is a condition that causes skin to appear darkened or discolored, and is often an umbrella term that covers acne scarring, sun damage, and eczema as well. Melasma is linked to heat, sun exposure, and hormonal fluctuations, and presents mostly on the face. Current statistics report that more than five million Americans have melasma, of which just 10% are men, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Melasma most commonly affects those with Fitzpatrick skin types III to VI, or medium, olive, and darker skin tones as a result of a greater concentration of melanocytes (melanin) in the skin, which is what forms the hyperpigmentation spots.
Technically, melasma presents no physical symptoms (side effects that are felt) but rather physical signs (side effects that are seen). For the most part, melasma presents as brown or darker-toned patches on the face, primarily on the cheeks, nose, forehead, chin, and upper lip. These patches may infrequently appear elsewhere on the body, like the neck and forearms, particularly during the summer months when fewer layers mean more skin is exposed to the sun. Different from brown spots which appear as dots, melasma appears as larger splotches in concentrated areas. When magnified, skin affected by melasma often shows signs similar to photodamaged skin, with a thicker, rougher texture.
Due to its link to hormones, the use of hormonal therapies, oral contraceptives, hormonal IUDs, and pregnancy may increase your risk of developing melasma. However, with this link not being wholly understood at this time, melasma and hormonal fluctuations are simply correlated rather than hormone levels being a definitive cause of melasma. In other words, those who experience hormone fluctuations may be at higher risk of developing melasma, but could also never develop the condition.
Another common cause of melasma may be excessive cumulative sun exposure. Drugs such as antibiotics, skin care products containing alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), or acne treatments like Accutane tend to increase skin’s photosensitivity that can lead to melasma without the proper precautions. Excessive time spent in the sun or tanning beds may also cause melasma.
Melasma could also have a genetic link, which has been more recently supported by studies on various ethnic populations in which melasma is generally more prevalent. It appears that melasma runs in families and the risk of developing the skin condition exists regardless of whether it’s a male or female who inherits the melasma gene. With one study reporting that 70% of Latino men with melasma had a family member who also had the skin condition, it’s clear a genetic component exists.
Because of its link to hormone levels and photosensitivity, melasma can be difficult to treat. Standard melasma treatments work to manage or prevent the worsening of its appearance, particularly during the summer months when heat and increased UV exposure accelerates the development of melasma-related hyperpigmentation. The following are some of the top steps you can take to easily manage the appearance of your melasma:
The one caveat to remember regarding any treatment protocol is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to skin care. There are many factors that determine how your skin will react to any melasma treatment. For this reason, a combination of preventative measures, quality skin care, and custom energy-based treatments is the best approach to keeping melasma under control.
The first step to discovering the right combination of treatments for your skin is to talk to a dermatologist or certified treatment professional. For those interested in learning more about how radio frequency skin resurfacing treatment plans can help minimize and manage the appearance of melasma, contact a certified provider near you using the search field below.
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Venus Bliss™ is cleared by the FDA and licensed by Health Canada for non-invasive lipolysis of the abdomen and flanks in individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or less, with the diode laser applicators. The (MP)2 applicator is cleared by the FDA for temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, and licensed by Health Canada for temporary increase of skin tightening, temporary circumferential reduction, and temporary cellulite reduction. Venus Bliss™ has CE Mark as a non-invasive medical aesthetic device enabling a comprehensive approach leading to body contouring, addressing fat reduction, skin tightening, circumference reduction, and cellulite reduction.
Venus Versa™ is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and has CE Mark as a multi-application device intended to be used in aesthetic and cosmetic procedures. The SR515 and SR580 applicators are cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and have CE Mark for the treatment of benign pigmented epidermal and cutaneous lesions and treatment of benign cutaneous vascular lesions. The HR650/HR650XL and HR690/HR690XL applicators are cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and have CE Mark for the removal of unwanted hair and to effect stable long-term or permanent hair reduction for Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The AC Dual applicator is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and has CE Mark for the treatment of acne vulgaris. The DiamondPolar™ and OctiPolar™ applicators on the Venus Versa™ system are cleared by the FDA for non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides on females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The DiamondPolar™ applicator is licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides on females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. The OctiPolar™ applicator on the Venus Versa™ system is licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for temporary body contouring via skin tightening, circumferential reduction, and cellulite reduction. The NanoFractional RF™ (Viva) applicator is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and has CE Mark for dermatological procedures requiring ablation and resurfacing of the skin.
NeoGraft® is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark with indication for use in suction-assisted follicular extraction and re-implantation. It is an auto-graft system and can be used on both male and female patients.
ARTAS iX™ is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark with indication for use for harvesting hair follicles from the scalp in men diagnosed with androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) who have black or brown straight hair. ARTAS iX™ is intended to assist physicians in identifying and extracting hair follicular units from the scalp during hair transplantation; creating recipient sites; and implanting harvested hair follicles.
Venus Legacy™ is cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides in females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV with the OctiPolar™ and DiamondPolar™ applicators, and temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite with the 4D Body (LB2) and 4D Face (LF2) applicators. It is licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for the temporary increase of skin tightening, temporary circumferential reduction, temporary cellulite reduction, and temporary wrinkle reduction.
Venus Velocity™ is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for hair removal, permanent hair reduction (defined as the long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen), and the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae for all Fitzpatrick skin types.
Venus Fiore™ received regulatory approval in Israel for aesthetic and functional treatment of the vagina, labia and mons pubis. Venus Fiore™ is available for sale in India, Hong Kong, and other selected Asian countries.
Venus Viva™ is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada, and has CE Mark for dermatological procedures requiring ablation and resurfacing of the skin. The DiamondPolar™ applicator is cleared by the FDA, licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for the treatment of moderate to severe wrinkles and rhytides in Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV.
Venus Freeze Plus™ is cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides in females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. It is licensed by Health Canada for temporary skin tightening, and temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite on the abdomen and flanks, using the DiamondPolar™ and OctiPolar™ applicators. The DiamondPolar™ applicator on Venus Freeze Plus™ has CE Mark for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides, and the increase of skin tightening, temporary circumferential reduction, and cellulite reduction with the OctiPolar™ applicator.
Venus Heal™ is licensed by Health Canada and can be used for the treatment of both acute and chronic disorders of the musculoskeletal system, such as muscle spasms, back pain, and soft tissue injuries, and results in effects such as pain relief, myorelaxation, increase of local blood circulation, and edema reduction. In the U.S., Venus Heal™ is cleared by the FDA for the relief of minor muscle aches and pain, relief of muscle spasm, and temporary improvement of local blood circulation. These indications enable the treatment of certain soft tissue injuries and conditions.
Venus Glow™ is cleared by the FDA as a Class I motorized dermabrasion device. It provides a dermal rejuvenation treatment that works to open up and deep-clean pores. Venus Concept is the exclusive distributor for Venus Glow™.
Venus Epileve™ is licensed by Health Canada and has CE Mark for hair removal, permanent hair reduction (defined as the long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing when measured at 6, 9 and 12 months after the completion of a treatment regimen), and the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae for all Fitzpatrick skin types. Venus Epileve™ is also CE-Marked for hirsutism.
Venus Freeze™ is cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides in females with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV. It is licensed by Health Canada for temporary skin tightening, and temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite on the abdomen and flanks, using the DiamondPolar™ and OctiPolar™ applicators. The DiamondPolar™ applicator on Venus Freeze™ has CE Mark for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides, and the increase of skin tightening, temporary circumferential reduction, and cellulite reduction with the OctiPolar™ applicator.
Venus Swan™ is cleared by the FDA for the non-invasive treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and rhytides, and licensed by Health Canada for the non-invasive treatment of cellulite reduction, skin tightening, and temporary reduction in the appearance of stretch marks.
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