WEDNESDAY, 18 APRIL 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
For most women, a tiny pimple on the face is enough to ruin their day or week. Even the slightest imperfection that may have a 1% chance of getting noticed by others can be distressing. For these women, melasma is their darkest nightmare. It’s a common issue, often resulting from sun exposure, that causes brown patches on the face. Unfortunately, these patches are often permanent.
The Typical Journey of Melasma Sufferers
If you’re suffering from melasma, the road to “recovery” usually looks like this:
- Hope for Natural Fading: You hope that it’ll fade away on its own.
- Home Remedies: Your friend suggests you try apple cider vinegar and lemon juice treatment.
- Dermatologist Visit: Slightly disappointed, you visit a dermatologist who’ll prescribe a bleaching cream (hydroquinone or similar).
- Full-on Disappointment: The treatment doesn’t work as expected.
- Research: You Google the hell out of the topic and feel overwhelmed by the information.
- Concealers and Makeup: Concealers and makeup become your best friends to cover the patches.
At this point, no one can convince you there is a treatment for getting rid of melasma. Trying more and more treatments only runs the risk of making the condition worse. So, what would you do?
Platelet-Rich Plasma for Melasma
What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)?
According to recent Turkish and Malaysian studies, Platelet-Rich Plasma is showing great promise for melasma. One of the good things about PRP for melasma is that it won’t make the condition worse, unlike IPL, Fraxel, or other treatments. It’s like getting a natural facial treatment with a whole lot of potential benefits, even if it doesn’t help cure melasma.
How Does PRP Work for Melasma?
PRP injections work by supplying growth factors to reduce pigmentation. Being an independent treatment with no downtime, it can be done in conjunction with conventional treatments for melasma to add and enhance effects. PRP contains more than 30 bioactive substances that play roles like increasing skin volume and adding new blood vessels.
Platelet-Rich Plasma with Microneedling
Combining PRP with Microneedling
This is the most common combination for Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy. The combination has produced results for a variety of skin pigmentation issues, making it a valuable option for melasma, especially when creams and peels haven’t helped. More importantly, PRP’s ability to stimulate collagen production in the area tightens the pores and makes your skin glow.
Why Platelet-Rich Plasma?
The Science Behind PRP
PRP is primarily a healing vehicle. It needs to be injected into the membrane below the skin. It works by supplying the underlying skin membrane with collagen and tenascin stimulated by the transforming growth factors in PRP. These growth factors also promote the formation of new blood vessels, sometimes resulting in the disappearance of spider veins.
The released growth factors (mainly platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß)) stimulate the proliferation of fibroblasts and epidermal cells, and collagen synthesis. Additionally, TGF-ß has been proven to inhibit melanogenesis — or reverse skin pigmentation — the exact opposite effect of exposure to UV-B radiation.
Treatment Results and Maintenance
Typically, patients see excellent results with 2-3 PRP injections in the first 3 months. Clinical studies have shown that the effects maintain after 6 months. However, melasma is known to recur even after successful treatments. Therefore, you must take precautions by using sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection and an SPF of 30 or higher. Avoiding harsh skincare products is also essential as they can exacerbate melasma.
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