Patient in San Francisco, CA Receives Melasma Treatment*

This lovely woman suffered from years of melasma, a common skin condition that causes dark patches and spots. Her condition worsened after several visits to other dermatologists, where she received multiple IPL lasers and repeated courses of hydroquinone, which exacerbated her melasma.

We love IPL for sun spots (lentigos), but it can worsen melasma due to its broad wavelengths, intense heat component. While HQ is usually a good choice for reducing melanin, it can sometimes make melasma dramatic by minimizing background pigment and creating higher contrast with melasma patches.

Dr. Austin instead recommended a simple topical regimen to help her skin heal as beautifully evidenced by the photos below.