Battling pigmentation and Melasma? We sat down with Sam, the owner of The Skin Bar to find out about Madi Edwards skin journey and how she good rid of her melasma and brown spots.
When did Madi first come to see you?
I started treating Madi’s skin in 2018.
What was her primary skin concern?
She reached out to me with the concern of ‘Really dark pigment patches’ on her face which she thought might have been sun damage, which faded a little in winter and comes back darker in summer. I knew straight away it was Melasma, as it was clusters of brown pigment on her upper lip, forehead, and cheeks.
How did you decide to treat it? What was the process?
Being Melasma, I did not want to use heat such as a laser, as Melasma triggers are heat, hormones and UV. Using lasers can often trigger more melanocytes. At The Skin Bar, we are all about the Skins Integrity and health in the future.
Skin needling was my treatment of choice for Madis Concerns Initially. Over 2018 – 2010 I would treat Madis Skin once every 6 weeks with Skin needling to control her Melasma. With Melasma being hormonal, her pigment would often flare up once month so it was important for us to manage and control the Melasma as best as we could. In 2019 Madi moved over to LA for work. This stopped our monthly visits and sure enough her Melasma crept back over the 6-month period.
When Madi returned to Sydney for a visit over Christmas last year, I then decided to treat the Melasma with the COSMELAN PEEL. The process of this peel is a two-phase treatment plan. We apply a mask in clinic, you go home and leave the mask on the skin for 12 hours.
12 hours later the mask turns to a chalk and you rinse it off with water. Redness and flaky skin can last up to 2 weeks, but with Madi having a healthy skin due to her previous needling sessions, her down time was only 5 days. We had achieved completed Melasma and pigment removal 5 days post treatment. She then returned to LA with the important phase 2 of the treatment which is the aftercare homecare. There is an important ingredient in the homecare which inhibits the return of any pigment or Melasma. This is the important ‘Maintenance cream’. Madi now is Pigment & Melasma free and uses her Homecare kit daily to ensure her Melasma does not return. When Madi returns to Sydney we will also treat her with Skin needling for collagen production (her natural alternative to botox)
How much (typically) does the treatment/s cost?
Skin Needling & post treatment peel is $200 in our clinic and $250 for mobile – we can come to you. The Cosmelan with homecare is $1250.
How quickly did Madi see results?
Day 3 post treatment with Skin Needling and Cosmelan is when you start to see results. Madi had stopped flaking and shedding her skin in 5 days post treatment.
What causes melasma?
Melasma is thought to be triggered by UV exposure, as well as hormonal influences such as going on the Pill, or falling pregnant. Some women are genetically predisposed to Melasma, and as soon as they try a form of contraception, which is what happened in Madis case (triggered by birth control pill) Melasma can flare on the face. Often causing dark pigment on the upper lip looking like a brown moustache, clusters on the cheeks and patches on the forehead.
What can we do to prevent getting it?
Always being SunSmart, apply UV 30+ every 2 hours when exposed to the sun is the only thing you can do to prevent pigment damage. If you find a certain contraceptive medication is causing Melasma we recommend stopping that medication and speak to your GP to try different measures.
What else does your clinic specialise in?
Skin Needling is our specialty treatment. Its the natural alternative to botox, while also resurfacing the skin. I cant speak highly enough about skin needling. We don’t use lasers or botox to treat concerns, as we don’t really know the long term effects of these treatments.
What are your client’s most common skin complaints?
Acne & Congestion – Adult acne is such a thing. We often think we won’t suffer from bad skin in our late twenties, thirties and even forties. Wrong! Also sun damaged skin is quite common in our country with our sun being the harshest in the world!
In your experience, what’s the best way to treat acne? Pigmentation? Scarring?
Skin Needling for scarring absolutely. This treatment was designed by a medical team for scarring and collagen stimulation. Also is a GREAT way to prevent ageing by stimulating new growth factors (new collagen) at every treatment.
We use a range of active peels to treat Acne & congestion which include home care products. It’s so important for us to make sure your using the correct products when treating acne. Pigment we use Skin Needling with Cosmelan for the most permanent results.
Got more questions? Email us at enquiries@theskinbar.com.au
