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Melasma Treatment Adelaide

Melasma appears as symmetrical brown or grey-brown patches, most often across the cheeks, forehead or upper lip. It is driven by hormones, UV exposure, heat and genetics together, which is why it behaves differently to ordinary sun spots and why it resists treatments that clear them. Melasma is managed rather than cured, and the wrong approach can make it worse.
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Melasma Treatment Adelaide
OverviewBenefitsWhat to ExpectPricingMeet the TeamFAQs
Overview

Melasma Treatment Adelaide Adelaide

Melasma is not simply accumulated sun damage. Hormonal change is a common trigger, which is why it frequently begins during pregnancy or after starting the contraceptive pill. UV exposure stimulates the pigment-producing cells and reactivates settled melasma. Heat is a trigger in its own right, independent of UV. Genetics and skin type affect susceptibility, and vascular factors contribute in some cases. The pigment also sits at varying depths, some in the epidermis and some deeper in the dermis, and deeper pigment is considerably more stubborn.

Discrete sun spots often clear with pigment-targeting laser. Melasma frequently does not, and aggressive laser can worsen it, because heat itself is a trigger and melasma is prone to rebounding darker than it started. Treatment therefore aims to regulate pigment production rather than strip pigment from the surface, usually through a structured programme with a clinical phase followed by ongoing maintenance. Anyone promising to remove melasma permanently is overstating what is achievable.

Treating melasma involves higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including intensive depigmenting agents. These carry risks such as skin irritation, prolonged redness, sensitivity and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and darker skin types carry a higher risk of the latter. Outcomes depend on your skin type, hormonal factors and strict sun protection, and are not guaranteed. Assessment by a registered medical practitioner is required, and you are encouraged to seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

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Benefits

How Melasma Is Approached at Advanced Cosmetic Medicine

1
Correct Identification First
Melasma is distinguished from sun spots and post-inflammatory pigmentation before anything is recommended, because the three respond to different treatments and one of them can be aggravated by the wrong choice.
2
Skin Type Assessed Before Treatment
Your Fitzpatrick skin type and history are reviewed, since darker skin carries a higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and calls for gentler settings and a slower course.
3
Managed Programme, Not a One-Off
Treatment regulates pigment production over months rather than removing it in a single session, combining a clinical phase with a maintenance regime you continue at home.
4
Realistic Expectations Set in Advance
Melasma is a chronic condition that can recur. You will be told plainly what is achievable and what ongoing management involves before you commit to anything.
The Process

What to Expect

Before the Procedure
Assessment. The first step is confirming that what you have is melasma rather than solar lentigines or post-inflammatory pigmentation, since the treatments differ and melasma is the one most easily made worse. Dr Rahma Targett reviews your history, including pregnancy, contraceptive use and any previous reaction to laser or light treatment, and assesses your Fitzpatrick skin type. The depth and distribution of the pigment guide what is appropriate.
HAIR TRANSPLANT ADELAIDE BEFORE
During the Procedure
The Clinical Phase. Depigmenting programmes such as Cosmelan work by targeting tyrosinase, the enzyme in the chain reaction that produces melanin, which reduces the activity of the pigment-producing cells rather than simply exfoliating the surface. An intensive mask is applied in clinic. Expect peeling, redness and sensitivity in the days that follow as the skin sheds pigmented layers, and the skin barrier is temporarily compromised during this period.
HAIR TRANSPLANT ADELAIDE DURING
After the Procedure
Maintenance and Sun Protection. A home regime continues over the following months, and this phase matters as much as the clinical one. Sun protection is part of the treatment rather than aftercare advice: a brief period of unprotected exposure can restart pigment overproduction, and unprotected new skin can rebound darker than the original. South Australia carries high UV for much of the year, so this is a year-round commitment involving daily broad-spectrum SPF, hats and shade.
HAIR TRANSPLANT ADELAIDE AFTER
Pricing

Transparent Pricing Information

We are committed to providing clear and transparent pricing for our services. The final cost of any procedure is determined by your individual clinical requirements and will be provided to you following a mandatory consultation and assessment.
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Consultation
Starting From
$100
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Show Someone You Care

Looking for a thoughtful present? Our gift vouchers allow you to contribute towards the cost of a consultation or treatment for someone special. A gift voucher from Advanced Cosmetic Medicine provides the recipient with the flexibility to choose from our wide range of non-surgical treatments.
Purchase in-clinic or get in touch to arrange one remotely — we’ll help you personalise the perfect gift.
Meet the Team

Who We Are

Advanced Cosmetic Medicine and Laser Clinic (ACM) is a private aesthetic medicine practice located in Adelaide.

Our Clinicians
Dr. Rahma Targett
Registered Medical Practitioner (General Registration)
MED000567890

Dr. Targett is the founder of ACM and is committed to providing responsible cosmetic care.
FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you’re curious about what to expect during a consultation, the techniques we use, or the recovery process, our FAQs are designed to provide you with the essential information you need.
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No. It is a chronic condition that is managed rather than cured, and it can return. Many people see a visible reduction in patches, but it requires ongoing maintenance rather than a single course of treatment.

Often it does, over the months after birth as hormones settle. Where it persists well beyond that, it is worth having assessed rather than continuing to wait.

Aggressive laser can worsen it, because heat is itself a trigger and melasma is prone to rebounding darker. Any laser use needs to be chosen carefully and conservatively as part of a managed plan, not as a first resort.

Melasma is usually symmetrical, appearing in matching patches across both cheeks, the forehead or the upper lip, and often began with pregnancy or hormonal change. Sun spots tend to be discrete, sharply defined and scattered. An assessment confirms which you have.

It requires care and adjusted settings, because darker skin types carry a higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Tell your practitioner about any previous reaction to treatment. Outcomes vary between individuals and are not guaranteed.