Short YouTube video by Dr. Shereene Idriss advising that lasers are generally not first-line for melasma. The speaker recommends an over-the-counter maintenance skincare routine to suppress hyperpigmentation and reserving prescription treatments (e.g., hydroquinone) for flares. Cautions: some lasers introduce heat and can damage the skin barrier, potentially worsening melasma long-term if maintenance is not continued.
Chapters
Hey Dr. Idris, what would you say is the best laser treatment for melasma? Have a seat young lady. Because laser treatments are not the goal when it comes to melasma and I do not believe that you need to be getting laser treatments in order to treat your melasma. It's quite the opposite. You should actually be on a maintenance routine that is dependent on over the counter skincare ingredients to keep your hyperpigmentation at bay and rely only on the treatments which are prescription like hydroquinone whenever you have a flare up. And the goal of the maintenance treatment is to keep everything suppress that your flare up is not crazy or exaggerated. My issue with some lasers, not all lasers when it comes to melasma, is that it introduces heat into your skin and if it breaks your skin barrier on top of that, you might look good today. But your melasma will flare up worse in the long run, especially if you're not on a maintenance routine. It's kind of like getting liposuction to get an eight pack, but you don't go to the gym to maintain your eight pack. You don't want to get any sort of treatment in office.
