Laser Facial Treatments

Rosacea Details

Rosacea is a common condition of an unknown cause affecting the facial skin. It typically first appears when people reach their thirties to forties and manifests itself as a flushing or redness on the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead that initially comes and goes. If left untreated, the condition can worsen over time, resulting in more persistent redness. Laser treatments performed at San Francisco Aesthetics such as Laser Genesis or IPL can improve the unsightly symptoms of Rosacea. Rosacea is a disorder of the face that results in redness, prominent blood vessels, swelling of pores, and skin eruptions similar to acne. Also called “adult acne”, the cause of rosacea is unknown. It occurs most often in fair skinned people, particularly those who blush easily. Women are more commonly affected, although men are more severely affected. Symptoms usually begin to appear between ages 30 to 50, and the disorder is most often seen in middle-aged or older people. Bumps and pimples appear and small dilated blood vessels may become visible. Conventional treatment for Rosacea is with antibiotics, combined with topical creams or lotions. Also, the use of a low concentration glycolic facial wash has been proven to be helpful. The signs of Rosacea are:

• redness of the face or cheeks similar to a rash

• a tendency to flush or blush easily

• increased vascularity (broken capillaries) of the face

• a red, often enlarged nose

• acne-like skin eruptions

• a burning or stinging sensation of the face

While Rosacea cannot be cured, its symptoms can be controlled and your appearance can be improved. The best way to control Rosacea is to avoid the triggering events such as prolonged periods of sun exposure, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol. Heat and rich foods can also contribute to the effects of rosacea. While topical creams may help control rosacea, the best way to improve your appearance is with light-based treatments such as laser. Treatments must be individualized depending on the severity of your condition and the symptoms you want treated. Dr. Tsai performs all of the laser treatments at San Francisco Aesthetics and she will design a treatment plan to meet your needs. The redness, broken capillaries, and enlarged blood vessels can often be reduced in only a few visits.

MELASMA Details

What is melasma?

Melasma is a skin condition that causes patches and spots, usually on the face, which are darker than your natural skin tone. While common, melasma can be mistaken for another skin condition. Board-certified dermatologists have the expertise required to give you an accurate diagnosis and individualized treatment plan. Is melasma contagious? No

Melasma is most common in women

Many women first see these blotchy patches and freckle-like spots on their face during pregnancy or when they start taking birth control pills. Melasma is so common during pregnancy that it’s sometimes called the “mask of pregnancy.”

For some women, the melasma goes away after their baby is born or they stop taking birth control pills.

Women who have medium to dark skin tones are most likely to develop melasma. When melasma appears, it can cause tan, brown, grayish brown, or bluish gray patches and freckle-like spots. These usually appear on certain areas of face like the cheeks, forehead, chin, and even above the upper lip. While less common, melasma can develop on the arms, neck, or elsewhere.

What can get rid of melasma?

While melasma may go away on its own, this skin condition can also last for years. If you dislike the discoloration on your skin caused by melasma certain treatments can sometimes help.

However, if you are pregnant, wait until you have your baby to treat melasma. If you use a melasma treatment that you can buy without a prescription, it can be difficult to know whether it’s safe to use during pregnancy. Also, melasma may improve and sometimes even go away after you give birth.

Is there a cure for melasma?

Treatments such as creams can help fade the discoloration, but treatments cannot make melasma go away forever. This skin condition can come back. It's common for melasma to return when you spend time outdoors without protecting your skin from the sun.

In fact, many people who have melasma say the dark spots and patches become more noticeable during the summer and fade in winter. For this reason, it is important to use sunscreen every day and wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep the spots from getting darker or returning.

Is melasma a type of cancer?

No, melasma is not a type of cancer. It’s also not a sign of skin cancer. Melasma differs from skin cancer in that it typically feels flat and appears on both sides of your face.

Where does melasma develop on the body?

Melasma primarily develops on the face, usually on one or more of the following areas:

Cheeks

Chin

Forehead

Nose

Above the upper lip

Occasionally, people develop melasma on their jawline, neck, arms, or elsewhere.

Wherever melasma appears, it causes blotchy patches and spots that can look like freckles. The color varies with a person’s skin tone and the severity of the melasma. In general, melasma is slightly darker than your natural skin color. Most people see various shades of brown. Melasma can look bluish gray in people with darker skin tones.

What are the signs and symptoms of melasma?

Melasma causes patches and spots that are darker than your natural skin color. Melasma develops on both sides of the face. If you have melasma on your cheeks, you’ll see patches or spots on both cheeks. Melasma can cover a large area. The unevenly shaped patches of melasma can join together, creating one or more large areas of melasma. Melasma can be more noticeable in one area than another. Melasma can appear on the sides of the face. People with a light skin tone can develop melasma. Melasma becomes more noticeable when you spend time in the sun. While less common, melasma can develop on the arms. Regardless of where melasma appears on your skin, it tends to become more noticeable when you spend time in the sun. Protecting your skin from the sun can help fade dark patches and spots. Men develop melasma. While melasma primarily affects women, some men develop melasma in common places like cheeks, chin, forehead, and upper lip.

Melasma isn’t painful or itchy.

While this skin condition can be noticeable, you won’t feel anything on your skin. Melasma won’t make your skin itch or cause pain.

While your skin doesn’t feel different, melasma can take a toll on your emotions. Having melasma makes some people feel self-conscious. Studies show melasma can lower self-esteem because it affects your appearance.

If you dislike the way melasma looks, treatment can help. Any treatment plan for melasma will include sun protection. That’s because the sun’s rays play a role in causing melasma.

What causes melasma?

More research is needed to fully answer this question. Researchers have discovered that when someone has melasma, the cells that give skin its color (melanocytes) tend to be more active. Exactly why this happens isn’t well understood.

It may be that melasma develops when something triggers these skin cells, causing them to go into overdrive.

The list of possible melasma triggers includes:

Sunlight: When sunlight hits our skin, it triggers the body to produce more melanin. This seems to explain why melasma develops on skin that gets the most sunlight like skin on the face, neck, and arms.

Pregnancy: An increase in the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which occurs during pregnancy, is thought to trigger melasma.

Some medications: The following medications may trigger melasma in some people:

Anti-seizure medications

Birth control pills (also known as oral contraceptive pills)

Medications that make your skin more sensitive to sunlight (includes retinoids, some antibiotics, and some blood pressure medications)

Stress: While this is controversial, some research findings suggest that stress can trigger melasma. Stress causes the body to make more of the hormone cortisol. An increase in cortisol may trigger melasma.

Tanning beds: A tanning bed or sunlamp tends to produce stronger ultraviolet (UV) rays than sunlight. When you expose your skin to UV light, it triggers the body to produce more pigment. Sometimes, this pigment appears unevenly, causing the blotchy patches and freckle-like spots of melasma.

Thyroid disease: Your thyroid is a gland located in your neck. It makes hormones that help your body with important jobs, including breaking down food you’ve eaten and regulating how fast your heart beats. If your thyroid gland develops a problem, this may increase your risk of developing melasma. Sometimes, treating the thyroid problem clears up the melasma.

Some people have a greater risk of developing melasma

Why a trigger causes melasma in some people but not others isn’t entirely clear. We do know that some people have a higher risk of developing melasma. You have a greater risk if you:

Are a woman between the ages of 20 and 40: Melasma is much more common in women than men. Hormones seem to play a role in causing melasma.

Have a medium or dark skin tone: Melasma develops more frequently in these skin tones than in lighter skin tones. You’re more likely to develop melasma if you are a woman of Latin, Asian, Black, or Native American heritage.

Have a blood relative who has melasma: Several studies have found that patients with melasma often have one or more blood relative(s) who also had melasma.

In one study of 324 melasma patients around the globe, 48% reported that they have a blood relative with melasma. Other studies have reported similar numbers.

If something is triggering melasma, it may clear on its own. This often happens after a person gives birth or stops taking a medication that triggers the melasma.

Sometimes, melasma stays around for years. If melasma bothers you, a dermatologist can talk with you about treatment options. Many treatment advances have been made in recent years.

Titan

Titan is a safe, non-surgical way to treat loose and crepey skin. Titan uses a safe infrared light to heat the dermis well below the skin’s surface. During the procedure, the skin’s surface is protected through continuous cooling with the Titan handpiece. The heating of the dermis causes collagen to contract and rebuild.

The best candidates for the Titan laser are those with mature, lax, and crepey skin. Titan can also be used throughout the body, including the neck and jowls, abdomen, arms, and thighs.

Several treatments as a series is required to achieve optimal results. Please schedule a consultation to see if Dr. Tsai recommends Titan for your skin concerns.

The Titan is a safe, non-surgical procedure that uses an infrared light source to tighten skin and reverse the signs of aging. The Titan device uniformly distributes heat below the skin, causing collagen contraction, while preserving the outer layer of skin through continuous cooling. This process stimulates long-term collagen rebuilding, leaving patients with younger-looking skin.