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Melasma and Vitiligo in Brown Skin pp 143–157Cite as

The Role of Lasers and Light Devices for the Treatment of Melasma

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Abstract

The use of laser and light devices for melasma is based on its effects on several pathogenetic pathways.

  • Pigmentation in melasma is due to deposition of melanin in the keratinocytes and dermis, and the basis of laser and light treatment is fragmentation and removal of melanin.

  • Melanin has a broad absorption spectrum stretching from wavelengths of 500–1064 nm, allowing a variety of lasers and light sources to be used for fragmenting the melanin pigment.

  • Melanosomes have very short thermal relaxation time, in the range of 50–500 ns, and hence lasers and light devices with short pulse duration (in nanosecond and possibly picosecond domain) are the preferred devices (Q-switched lasers).

  • Longer wavelength lasers and light devices penetrate deeper and are required to target dermal pigment – hence longer wavelength lasers are preferred to treat melasma than shorter wavelength lasers which can target epidermal pigment only; however, longer wavelength lasers may cause more epidermo-dermal basement damage and lead to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

  • To achieve favorable outcome, a maintenance treatment coupled with other modalities (topicals) should be used.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Skin Centre, Singapore, YLL School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1 Mandalay Road, Singapore, 308205, Singapore

    Chee Leok Goh

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  1. Chee Leok Goh
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Correspondence to Chee Leok Goh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Asian Hospital and Medical Center, Muntinlupa, Philippines

    Evangeline B. Handog

  2. Angeles University Foundation Medical Center, Pampanga, Philippines

    Maria Juliet Enriquez-Macarayo

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Goh, C.L. (2017). The Role of Lasers and Light Devices for the Treatment of Melasma. In: Handog, E., Enriquez-Macarayo, M. (eds) Melasma and Vitiligo in Brown Skin. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3664-1_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3664-1_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New Delhi

  • Print ISBN: 978-81-322-3662-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-81-322-3664-1

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