Does it hurt?
We use a topical anesthetic to freeze the skin prior to melasma treatment. Most patients find the treatment to be painless even though it involves deeply penetrating microneedling.
What is the recovery time?
Generally for one day you will have a red face. You can apply makeup over this during this time period if you absolutely must, but it is recommended that you go makeup-free for the first 24 hours after the procedure to let the skin fully recover.
How long does the procedure take?
Melasma treatment takes about 45 minutes total to perform. Twenty minutes of this is waiting for the topical anesthetic to take effect, and about twenty-five minutes is for the actual microneedling procedure.
How long before I see results?
Although lightening of melasma can be seen in the weeks following the first treatment, typically three treatments are needed for complete satisfaction. Treatments are typically separated by one month.
Here at Cascadia Laser we are experts in the treatment of melasma. Melasma creates areas of speckled darker pigment to the sun-exposed areas, usually of the face or neck. This hormonal skin condition is best treated with microneedling with a highly specialized mesotherapy called transexamic acid. Research studies have shown that this is a highly effective treatment for this condition if done with a microneedling technique that penetrates the skin deep enough for the transexamic acid to lighten the melasma.
We recommend a package of three treatments for the best results. These should be separated by at least four weeks. Downtime is limited and consists of a mildly red face the next day, after which you are back to normal. As with our microneedling, there is a topical anesthetic applied to the skin prior to the procedure which makes deep microneedling comfortable.
Cost of Melasma Treatment
We charge $399 plus GST per session for melasma treatment to the face, and this includes all costs for topical anesthetic, transexamic acid and the post-procedure kit we send home with you. All of our three session packages get a 15% reduction in price, for a total package price of $999 plus GST.
Additional areas of melasma treament, such as the neck, are $99 each area plus GST.
Click on Request a Free Consultation below to request a booking. We are always happy to book a free consultation with our laser tech Natasha if desired to review potential treatments and what works best for your skin.