The incidence of melasma, age spots and uneven skin tone is common in the Asian population. Melasma, a condition associated with widespread hyperpigmentation on the face tends to affect the cheeks, temples, forehead and upper lip, resulting in dark brown patches on the skin which can be considered unsightly and result in a lack of self-confidence.

The traditional approaches to treating melasma i.e. skin lightening creams and lasers may be associated with various adverse side effects such as skin irritation, redness, hypopigmentation or rebound hyperpigmentation. In recent years, it has also been established that prolong use of lightening creams and lasers can greatly increase skin sensitivity and worsen sun-induced damage.

Mesotherapy, however, is a relatively new and promising technique whereby microscopic quantities of vitamins, pharmaceuticals and proteins are injected into the skin of face or body to rejuvenate and treat problem areas. These ‘medicinal bullets’ are delivered directly into the mesoderm (middle layer of skin) that are highly specific to the condition being treated. This nourishes and rejuvenates the skin by promoting the production of collagen and elastin.

They can be customized and combined with whitening antioxidants e.g. vitamin C and glutathione. A study in Korea has shown that melasma sufferers respond well to mesotherapy. All the subjects tested showed a marked improvement after six treatments, with the appearance of their skin improving by up to 43 percent.