Utilizing fractional resurfacing in the treatment of therapy-resistant melasma.
BACKGROUND
Multiple treatment modalities have been employed for the management of melasma with minimal to no success.


OBJECTIVE
We propose fractional resurfacing as a new treatment modality for melasma.


METHODS
A 31-year-old Caucasian female with facial epidermal and dermal melasma, resistant to multiple courses of topical therapies, was treated with two sessions of full-face fractional resurfacing (Fraxel(TM) Laser; Reliant technologies, San Diego, CA), separated by a three-week interval. Clinical improvement was assessed by Wood's Lamp examination as well as parallel and cross-polarized comparative photography at baseline and 6 months later.


RESULTS
Marked reduction in epidermal and dermal facial pigmentation was observed at the six-month follow-up visit.


CONCLUSIONS
Fractional resurfacing may prove to be an effective and safe treatment modality for lightening of the epidermal and dermal pigmentation of melasma. Further studies with long-term follow-up periods and multiple patients with diverse skin phototypes and different variants of melasma are warranted.
Tannous
Zeina S
ZS
Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. ztannous@partners.org
Astner
Susanne
S
D000328:Adult; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008548:Melanosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome