Melasma
Melasma is among the most demanding pigment presentations a clinic takes on, and the approach differs from ordinary pigment work. Laser Equipment Global publishes clinical education, operator training, treatment-protocol guidance and platform comparisons for providers deciding whether and how to offer it.
Melasma rewards restraint. Much of the material below is about what not to do — where heat, aggressive settings or the wrong modality can set a patient back rather than move them forward. If you are weighing melasma as a service line, start with how it differs from ordinary pigment, then work toward protocol and platform.
Understanding the condition
Why melasma behaves differently from other pigment, and what that means for a clinic taking these cases on.
- Melasma Treatment: Why Wavelength and Strategy Matter — A clinical and commercial guide to melasma: why 1064 nm matters, the evidence on 755 vs 1064 nm, and how multi-mode treatment planning fits.
- Choosing Laser and Light Technology for Melasma — Evaluate melasma technology by wavelength, epidermal melanin interaction, pulse behavior, and flexibility — not broad device-category claims.
- The Vascular Component of Melasma — What histology shows about vascularity in melasma, why it changes clinical thinking, and where long-pulse 1064 nm may fit in selected plans.
- Melasma in Darker Skin: Why 1064 nm Matters — Why wavelength matters in Fitzpatrick IV–VI melasma, how 755 nm and 1064 nm differ in epidermal melanin interaction, and what the evidence supports.
- Why Heat Can Trigger Rebound Pigmentation — Heat and inflammation can stimulate more pigment in predisposed skin — why thermal treatments can rebound, and how melanin-sparing approaches reduce risk.
- Why IPL Can Worsen Melasma — IPL can worsen melasma in some patients. Why heat triggers rebound — and the 1064 nm approach that lets your clinic say yes to melasma patients.
Protocols and operator training
What a treating clinician needs to understand before the first session. Full parameters live in the gated owner portal, not on public pages.
- Why Melasma Requires a Conservative Energy Strategy — Melasma punishes aggressive treatment: why PIH and rebound shape strategy, and how a multi-session, 1064 nm-anchored approach manages the condition.
- Melasma Treatment Protocol for Clinics — A claim-safe, conservative melasma framework for clinics — patient selection, test spots, melanin-sparing settings, photoprotection, and maintenance.
- Pico Laser Training: Why Pulse Duration Matters — Pulse duration is what makes pico worth buying — picosecond vs nanosecond Q-switched, and why shorter pulses power pigment, tattoo and melasma work.
- 1064 nm vs 532 nm Picosecond: Two Wavelengths, Two Jobs — What 1064 nm and 532 nm each do in a picosecond platform — depth, melanin interaction, and why a dual-wavelength system covers work a single line cannot.
- Why 532 nm Requires Caution on Darker Skin Types — Treat darker skin with confidence: why 532 nm needs caution, how PIH and melasma risk shape the plan, and when 1064 nm is the conservative lead.
Comparing approaches
How picosecond treatment sits against the other modalities a clinic might already own or be considering.
- Pico Laser vs IPL for Melasma — Pico vs IPL for melasma — why melanin-sparing 1064 nm picosecond is the preferred choice over heat-heavy IPL for this rebound-prone condition.
- Pico Laser vs Q-Switched Nd:YAG for Melasma — Choosing a melasma platform: how 1064 nm picosecond compares with Q-switched Nd:YAG on pulse duration, heat, rebound risk and patient selection.
- Pico Laser vs Chemical Peels for Melasma — Pico laser vs chemical peels for melasma — why gentle 1064 nm picosecond beats aggressive peels on rebound risk and depth control.
- DPL Elite vs Pro 1 Pico — How DPL Elite and Pro 1 Pico fit together — narrowband light-based breadth vs photoacoustic picosecond laser for pigment, tattoo, and fractional remodeling.
Choosing a platform
What to weigh commercially if melasma is going to be a service line rather than an occasional case.
- Pro 1 Pico for Melasma: 1064 nm First — Why the melasma case for Pro 1 Pico starts with 1064 nm — then expands through picosecond, PTP dual-pulse, long-pulse 1064 nm, and a broader treatment menu.
- Don't Buy a Pico Laser Until You Ask These 7 Questions — Ask these 7 questions before buying a pico laser — pulse duration, wavelengths, remodeling capability, tattoo and melasma applications, service, and ROI.
- Why Pro 1 Pico Is More Than a Tattoo Removal Laser — Pro 1 Pico turns one purchase into tattoo, PMU, pigment, melasma-programme and PicoMatrix™ skin-quality revenue — a menu, not a single service.
- Picosecond Laser FAQs — Picosecond laser FAQs for clinic buyers — pulse duration, wavelength and peak power, treatment modalities, skin-type range, and what the Pro 1 Pico treats.
Related
- Pigmentation — the broader treatment area melasma sits within.
- Every skin tone — treating pigment across the full Fitzpatrick range.
- Pro 1 Pico — the platform most of this material concerns.
- Evidence & substantiation — the sources behind our clinical claims.