Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Meladine?
Creative Technologies, Inc. owns, manufactures and distributes Meladine.
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.
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.
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.
How long has Meladine been on the market?
Meladine has been sold on the laser hair removal market since November
of 2001 and continues to receive exciting results from doctors and
laser hair removal centers across the U.S. and beyond.
How is Meladine applied?
Please refer to the “Suggested Use” page for detailed directions.
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.
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.
Why is the application regimen so different
between vellus and coarse hair?
While soft, 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.
Is 6 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 6 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 6 weeks prior
to laser treatment, the patient may begin 4 weeks prior to laser
treatment but must increase daily applications to at least 8 in the
morning and 8 in the evening.
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.
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.
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 6 week regimen, etc.
Does Meladine stain the skin?
No. Meladine is selectively deposited into the hair follicle and does not absorb into the surrounding epidermis.
Will the hair change color?
No. The proprietary liposomes, which are actually submicroscopic
spheres, are small enough to effectively penetrate the hair shaft
and follicle to provide a target for a laser or IPL, but not large
enough to discolor the hair. Keep in mind that topical hair should be
removed (preferably by shaving) prior to Meladine application.
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.
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 the area where Meladine is applied, the
liposomes have less chance to reach the hair follicle.
Is daily shaving absolutely necessary?
It is recommended that the area be shaved daily for optimal absorption.
If the hair grows very slowly, daily shaving may not be necessary. If a
patient is very hesitant to shave, an alternative is closely clipping
the hair each day.
Will shaving change the color and the texture of the hair?
No. It has been shown that shaving does not change the nature of the
hair. Shaving removes the topical hair from the surface of the
skin—it does not affect the follicle or the bodily functions that
dictate the nature of the hair. Variables that contribute to the change
in color and texture of hair include, hormones, excessive weight gain,
age, etc.
Can patients use a cotton ball to apply Meladine?
No. Patients must absolutely avoid applying Meladine with an applicator
(i.e. cotton balls, makeup sponges, makeup brushes, Q-tips, etc). If an
applicator is used, the liposomes will be absorbed by the applicator
and will not be applied, or absorbed into the hair. If desired,
fingertips may be used to spread or gently pat Meladine onto the area
being treated.
Can a hairdryer be used to help dry Meladine?
It is highly recommended that Meladine be allowed to air dry. However,
a hair dryer set on a low, cool setting and held at arms length from
the skin may be used to aid in drying on occasion. It is important that
Meladine not evaporate too quickly so patients must take care when
using a hairdryer. Keep in mind that a dryer used on a heat setting may
melt the liposomes, in which case the melanin will not be absorbed.
What if a patient forgets or
misses an application? Must she start over?
It is important that the patient faithfully apply Meladine for optimal
results. Keep in mind that the goal of using Meladine is to create a
melanin deposit that is dark enough to be effectively targeted by the
laser. If several applications are missed, the patient should consider
adding more applications to the daily regimen or extending the Meladine
treatment for several days in order to make up for the number of
applications missed. If the patient does not apply a sufficient number
of applications she may cheat herself out of an effective treatment.
How long after the application of Meladine must
the patient wait before showering, getting in a pool or sweating?
It is recommended to wait 1 hour after applying Meladine before
showering, swimming or sweating heavily—however Meladine can be
applied immediately after showering. Meladine is colorless and dries
without any lingering odor.
Can the patient use other creams or lotions in conjunction with Meladine?
Yes. For the most part, patients may continue to using normal
moisturizing lotions/creams, cleansers and/or make-up while applying
Meladine. However, it is recommended that Meladine be applied to clean
skin and that, after applying Meladine, the patient wait 1 hour to
apply other topicals. (See next question for products that should be
avoided during Meladine treatment).
Are there any products that contraindicate Meladine?
The only topical applications that may contraindicate Meladine are
products that contain bleaching agents designed to lighten hair or
skin. Since the effect of topical lighteners on the melanin deposit has
not been scientifically verified, Creative Technologies cannot
guarantee that hair or skin-lightening products will not affect the
melanin deposit. Because of this we recommend that patients avoid
lightening agents while using Meladine. Common skin-lightening
ingredients include, but may not be limited to, hydroquinone and kojik
acid. Remember, when applying Meladine in the morning and evening, it
is important the skin be clean and free of substances that may inhibit
absorption.
Does Meladine work the same for everyone?
Although hundreds of laser hair removal centers are reporting exciting
results, there is no guarantee that Meladine will obtain the same
results for everyone. Results may vary depending on the patient’s
adherence to the application and treatment regimen. Other variables may
include laser treatment, density and coarseness of hair, hormonal
changes, etc.
Can pregnant/nursing women use Meladine?
Meladine is considered a topical cosmetic, similar to moisturizing
lotions or makeup. Although Meladine’s™ ingredients do not
penetrate into the bloodstream, Creative Technologies recommends that
any pregnant or nursing patient should consult her physician before use.
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 pretreated 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.
The laser center that I go to
doesn’t carry Meladine—how can I obtain Meladine?
Most laser centers that do not carry Meladine simply haven’t
heard about Meladine yet! If you would like to try Meladine, please
refer your laser technician or consultant to our website or email us at
info@creativeinc.biz for a free brochure that you can pass along to the center.