Frequently Asked Questions

Is Meladine a drug? Does it require a prescription?
No. Meladine is considered a topical cosmetic/preparation. Meladine's ingredients are natural, non-toxic and non-irritating to the skin.
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Has Meladine been approved by the FDA?
Meladine has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA as an "Accessory to a Surgical Laser Instruments used for Hair Removal" to enhance the effects of lasers for the treatment of non-pigmented hair. Additionally, Meladine is registered with the FDA as a cosmetic.
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What is Meladine and how does it work?
Meladine is the only product in the world that has proven to enhance the effects of hair removal lasers on non-pigmented hair. Meladine simply deposits natural melanin into the hair follicle, which aids the laser in targeting the hair follicle for removal.
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How long has Meladine been on the market?
Meladine has been sold on the laser hair removal market throughout the U.S. since November 2001 and continues to receive exciting results from doctors and laser hair removal centres there and across the world.
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How is Meladine applied?
Please refer to the Suggested Use page for detailed directions.
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Must Meladine be applied before EACH laser treatment or just before the first laser treatment?
Meladine must be applied prior to each laser treatment because the melanin deposit in the hair follicle is only temporary. Meladine is only effective on the hairs that are in anagen (growth) stage as these are the only hairs that will be affected by the laser.
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How long must Meladine be applied before each laser treatment?
Please refer to the Suggested Use page for details. Vellus hair will require a minimum of 2 weeks of application prior to each laser treatment and coarse hair will require 6 weeks of application prior to each laser treatment.
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Why is the application regimen so different between vellus and coarse hair?
While soft and porous, vellus hair seems to easily absorb the melanin liposomes; thick, coarse hair absorbs the liposomes at a lower rate. The different regimens exist to compensate for the different texture, and different absorption rates, of the hair.
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Is six weeks of application really necessary to treat coarse hair?
Creative Technologies has found that patients with coarse hair have higher rates of success when they use Meladine for the suggested six-week regimen. Keep in mind that 'more applications is better' and patients should always aim to do as many applications as possible to increase the melanin deposit. (Remember: the darker the melanin target is, the easier it is for the laser to target, and disable, the hair follicle.) If it is impractical to begin application six weeks prior to laser treatment, the patient may begin four weeks prior to laser treatment but must increase daily applications to at least eight in the morning and eight in the evening.
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Can Meladine be applied up until the laser treatment or must the patient stop Meladine application a day or so before laser treatment?
Meladine may be used up until the day of laser treatment. However applying Meladine in the few minutes before treatment will have little benefit. As is the industry standard regarding laser treatment and topical applications (i.e. makeups, tanners, etc.) it is always a good idea to cleanse the skin before laser treatment to remove excess topical applications.
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How long does one bottle last?
One bottle contains approximately 720 sprays, which may be enough to cover several regimens (regimen = series of applications prior to one laser treatment) for a lip, but may only cover one regimen for a full face. The duration of one bottle will be determined by several factors:
1) Size of the area to be treated: Obviously smaller areas will require less product. A lip may require 1 spray to sufficiently cover the area per application, while a back may require 6-8 sprays per application.
2) Type of hair to be treated: Patients treating fine, vellus hair (2 weeks of use prior to laser treatment) will use less product than patients treating coarse hair (6 weeks of use prior to laser treatment) because the application regimen is shorter.
3) Patient preference: Some patients may apply Meladine more liberally per application.
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Can Meladine be used on red hair?
Yes. Meladine may be used to treat any type of hair that does not respond to laser treatment alone, including red hair, "strawberry" blonde hair, light brown vellus, etc. Remember that Meladine increases the pigment in any hair that it is applied to. For optimal results, assess the texture of the hair (coarse or vellus) and chose the application regimen based on the texture of the hair. For example, coarse red hair will require a six-week regimen, etc.
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Does Meladine stain the skin?
No. Meladine is selectively deposited into the hair follicle and does not absorb into the surrounding epidermis.
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Will the hair change colour?
No. Meladine is deposited directly into the hair follicle and does not reside in the hair shaft. Therefore, the hair above the surface of the skin will not turn brown. Keep in mind that topical hair should be removed (preferably by shaving) prior to Meladine application.
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If a patient stops using Meladine and never receives a laser treatment, will the hair follicle retain the melanin deposit?
No. If a patient were to never receive a laser treatment, the melanin deposit would naturally dissipate as the hair grows and falls out.
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Can the patient shave immediately before applying Meladine or must there be some hair above the skin?
Meladine is best absorbed into the hair when it has been shaved. If there is long topical hair in recommends that any pregnant or nursing patient should consult her physician before use.
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As a laser technician, what are the best laser parameters to use when treating patients using Meladine?
Clinical biopsies have shown that a hair follicle treated with Meladine is equivalent to that of a finely textured, light brown hair. Therefore, doctors have had the greatest success when they treat Meladine pre-treated hair with laser settings that are indicated for treatment of fine, light brown hair. Of course parameters used for each individual patient should be determined entirely by the doctor or laser technician.
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Who owns Meladine?
Creative Technologies, Inc. owns and manufactures Meladine. Brava UK is the UK and European distributor of Meladine.
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The laser centre that I go to doesn't carry Meladine - how can I obtain Meladine?
Most laser centres that do not carry Meladine simply haven't heard about it yet! If you would like to try Meladine, please refer your laser technician or consultant to this website or contact us either by telephone on 0870 850 9595 or by emailing us at sales@brava-uk.com
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