Pigmentation and melasma
Clinical name: Melasma · post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
Patches darker than your own skin tone, usually on cheeks, forehead and upper lip.
The cause
Sun first and last, with a hormonal driver (pregnancy, the pill) and a genetic predisposition. The second type — post-inflammatory — follows a spot, a wound, or even a laser session at the wrong setting.
What we can actually change
Melasma is chronic. It is controlled, not cured, and it returns if protection stops. A disciplined topical regimen reduces the patches 50–80% over 3–6 months. Post-inflammatory pigment resolves almost completely on its own over 6–12 months with protection alone. Anyone promising permanent removal of melasma is lying to you.
Treatments that address it
Medical pigmentation treatment
Reduces melanin production and prevents the patches returning.
4–8 SESSIONS · 6 weeks · No downtime · Painless
400 – 700 EGP
Chemical peel
Removes defined layers of skin so it regenerates with smoother texture and less pigment.
4–8 SESSIONS · 3 weeks · Downtime 3 days · Mild
700 – 1,800 EGP
Nd:YAG laser
Penetrates deeper to target vascular lesions and dermal pigment.
3–6 SESSIONS · 4 weeks · Downtime 2 days · Moderate
1,200 – 3,000 EGP
This will not work if
- If you will not reapply sunscreen every 3 hours — do not start; you would be paying for something that returns.
- If you are pregnant — most lightening agents are contraindicated; we wait until after delivery.
- If you want laser straight away for melasma — the wrong laser worsens it. We always start topically.
- If the pigment is post-inflammatory and under 6 months old — wait. It will resolve on its own and you will save the money.
Aftercare
- Mineral SPF 50+ every 3 hours during daylight
- A hat or parasol — sunscreen alone is not enough in Egyptian sun
- Photograph the patches monthly in the same light
Questions we are asked
- Does melasma go permanently?
- No. It is controlled and it returns if protection stops. That is not treatment failure, it is the nature of the condition, and we say it at the first consultation so it is not a surprise a year later.
- Why not go straight to laser?
- Because melasma is heat-reactive. A session at the wrong setting can leave the patches darker than they started. We treat topically for 3 months, then reassess.
Results
The cards below are templates showing the format and the record that will sit beneath every image. No patient images are published yet, and we have not filled the space with stock photography or manufacturers' catalogue images.
Template record — not a real case
Malar melasma. Full sunscreen compliance. Note this is an entirely topical result — no laser at any point.
Template record — not a real case
Poor outcome
Poor result — the patches returned within 4 months of the last session. The patient worked outdoors and could not realistically reapply sunscreen every 3 hours. The error was ours: we should have said this plan would not hold in her circumstances before starting.
Booking
Availability is shown first. We ask for nothing about you until you have chosen a slot.
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Available slots
Consultation fee: 500 EGP · Deducted from your first session if booked within 14 days.