• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.337-342
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• 2016

Melasma has several well-recognized etiologic factors, but most researches focus on melanogenesis. The purpose of this study is to show improvement of melasma by reducing vascularity distinguished from melanogenesis. We examined 20 Korean women with both melasma and solar lentigo that were visually assessed by a dermatologist. The volunteers applied functional cosmetics for 8 weeks. We analyzed the results obtained using the chromameter, evaluating the skin color of three areas (melasma lesions, solar lentigo lesions, and non-lesional skin) on the face of volunteer. There was a statistically significant improvement in the brightness and redness of melasma lesions compared to those of non-lesional skin after 8 weeks. Also, we observed that the improvements in the brightness of melasma lesions and solar lentigo lesions were similar. However, the redness of melasma lesions improved more than that of solar lentigo lesions with statistical significance after 8 weeks. In this study, we have shown that brightness and redness in melasma lesions can be improved by functional cosmetics. Thus, we suggest redness to be an additional suitable parameter for the evaluation of melasma lesions.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.74-79
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• 2019

Periorbital melasma is often refractory to treatment and highly associated with rebound hyperpigmentation or mottled hypopigmentation after laser treatment in Asian patients. In this report, we describe 2 patients with cluster-1 periorbital melasma and 1 patient with cluster-2 periorbital melasma who experienced remarkable clinical improvements after microwave-generated, atmospheric-pressure, non-thermal nitrogen plasma treatments. All patients exhibited limited clinical responses after combination treatments with topical bleaching agents, systemic oral tranexamic acid, and low-fluenced Q-switched neodymium (Nd):yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) lasers. Low-energy nitrogen plasma treatment at 0.75 J elicited remarkable clinical improvement in the periorbital melasma lesions without post-laser therapy rebound hyperpigmentation and mottled hypopigmentation. We deemed that a single pass of nitrogen plasma treatment at 0.75 J induces mild microscopic thermal tissue coagulation and modification within the epidermis while preserving the integrity of the basement membrane in patients with periorbital melasma. Accordingly, nitrogen plasma-induced dermal tissue regeneration could play a role in the treatment of melasma lesions.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.110-118
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• 2020

The non-ablative fractional dual laser is equipped with two types of lasers, 1550 nm and 1927 nm in one device, and was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2013. The advantages of the non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL) include fewer side effects such as erythema, edema, post-laser pigmentation, and scab formation. Thus, the NAFL is preferred by both practitioners and consumers because it is convenient and safe for use. The 1550 nm erbium glass and 1927 nm thulium lasers are representative NAFLs that have been developed separately and are often used as a single-wavelength laser with proven clinical efficacy in various indications. The 1550 nm wavelength laser penetrates the dermis layer and the 1927 nm wavelength laser is effective for epidermal lesions. Therefore, targeting the skin layer can be easily achieved with both the 1550 and 1927 nm lasers, respectively, or in combination. Clinically, the 1550 nm laser is effective in the treatment of mild to moderate sagging and wrinkles, scars, and resurfacing. The 1927 nm laser improves skin texture and treats skin pigmentation and wounds. It can also be used for drug delivery. The selection and utilization rate of NAFL has been increasing in recent times, due to changes in lifestyle patterns and the need for beauty treatments with fewer side effects and short downtime. In this study, we present a plan for safe and effective laser therapy through a review of literature. Clinical applications of the multifunctional NAFL are also described.