There are many potential complications and side effects associated with laser treatment that you should know about. Redness, swelling, and a crusting appearance are the most frequently reported adverse reactions. After finishing your treatment, you may still feel the effects of these adverse reactions for a while. Pigmentation, in which the skin darkens in the treated area, is a long-term side effect experienced by some patients. This is because melanin (skin pigment) can be burned by the laser during treatment.
Some patients may experience temporary or permanent loss of skin sensation following laser treatments, so keep that in mind. The degree of sensitivity loss is proportional to the area of skin that was surgically treated (i.e., if only one side of your face was treated).
You may find it hard to access the right information on the internet, so we are here to help you in the following article, providing the best and updated information on Laser for pigmentation side effects , laser treatment for freckles before and after. Read on to learn more.
Laser For Pigmentation Side Effects
In some cases, laser skin resurfacing can help restore a more youthful appearance to skin that has become damaged due to aging, acne, or excessive sun exposure.
Laser resurfacing can precisely remove layers of skin. The formation of new skin cells during the healing process results in a smoother, more youthful appearance. This operation can stand on its own or be combined with other facial cosmetic procedures.
Preparing for Laser Resurfacing
You should first find out if you are a good candidate by talking to a plastic surgeon or dermatologist.
Get in touch with your healthcare provider if you develop fever blisters or cold sores in the mouth area. In some susceptible individuals, laser skin resurfacing can cause an outbreak.
Aspirin, ibuprofen, and vitamin E, among others, can interfere with blood clotting, so your doctor will ask you to stop taking them 10 days before your laser skin resurfacing procedure.
For two weeks prior to and following the procedure, smokers are advised to abstain from nicotine consumption.
A slower recovery time is one effect of smoking.
Antibiotics may be prescribed to ward off bacterial infections, and antiviral drugs may be recommended if you have a history of cold sores or fever blisters.
What to Expect During and After the Procedure
A dermatologist or plastic surgeon may perform laser resurfacing. Since it is an outpatient procedure, you won’t need to spend the night in the hospital.
Your doctor may choose to focus on specific areas, such as your forehead, eyes, or mouth, or may opt to treat your entire face at once. The doctor will likely use a local anesthetic to numb the treatment area(s) and give you a sedative for minor procedures. If the procedure involves the entire face, general anesthesia may be necessary.
To treat specific areas of the face typically takes between 30 and 45 minutes. Up to two hours may be required for a full face treatment.
The doctor will apply bandages to the affected areas after the laser treatment is complete. If you want to avoid scabs, you should clean the treated areas four or five times a day after the first 24 hours and then apply an ointment like petroleum jelly.
Inflammation is common after laser skin treatments. To alleviate the puffiness around your eyes, your doctor may recommend steroid medication. If you have swelling in your legs or feet, sleeping with an extra pillow may help.
After the procedure, you might feel a little itchy or stungy for up to three days. Following laser resurfacing, your skin will become dry and peel between days 5 and 7.
It usually takes between 10 and 21 days for the affected area to heal after receiving treatment. After two or three months, your skin should be healed enough to wear oil-free makeup to cover up any remaining redness.
A lighter complexion is another side effect of surgery. At that time of year, protecting your skin from the sun requires the use of a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen, which blocks both ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A rays. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and a zinc oxide content of 7% or more specifically formulated for use on the face. Keep out of the sun as much as possible, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and cover up with long sleeves, pants, and a brimmed hat. You should reapply your sunscreen every two hours while outdoors, and more frequently if you are sweating heavily or swimming.
Additionally, make sure your new skin stays hydrated. After about six weeks, you can resume using Retin A or glycolic acid products, or as directed by your doctor.
Benefits and Risks of Laser Resurfacing
Although skin resurfacing cannot produce perfect skin, it can improve the appearance of your skin. Potential risks of the procedure include:
- Burns or other injuries from the laser’s heat
- Scarring
- Changes in the skin’s pigmentation, including areas of darker or lighter skin
- Reactivating herpes cold sores
- Bacterial infection
Cost of Laser Skin Resurfacing
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of ablative laser skin resurfacing in 2020 was $2,509, while the cost of non-ablative laser skin resurfacing was $1,445. However, prices can fluctuate greatly based on the location of the clinic or hospital.
Most health insurance plans won’t pay for laser skin resurfacing because it’s classified as purely cosmetic. Scar revision and removal of precancerous skin growths are two potential exceptions that could justify the surgery.
You should discuss the expected costs and the extent to which insurance will cover the procedure with your doctor and insurance company before the procedure is performed. Numerous payment plans are available from most medical practices.
Laser treatment for freckles before and after
Freckles are hyperpigmented spots on the skin that develop from prolonged exposure to the sun. Although they are not harmful or medically necessary, some people seek treatment to have their freckles removed for aesthetic reasons. Freckles are best treated with laser or BBL intense pulsed light, both of which utilize light as their active ingredient. Minimizing the appearance of pigmentation requires diligent skin care and the avoidance of prolonged sun exposure.
How to get rid of freckles
As children, they have light brown freckles. Freckles get bigger and darker as we get older and expose more skin to the sun. These moles are also referred to as age spots, liver spots, or sun spots. Sun-exposed areas like the face, hands, and décolletage are common places for them to manifest. Freckles of this kind are medically referred to as lentigo/lentigines. Sometimes, the term “sun spots” is used to describe a different skin problem (solar keratoses). When we say “sun spot” here, we mean a lentigo-type freckle.
For those who wish to rid themselves of their freckles, a number of options are at their disposal. The most effective treatments always begin with a visit to a medical or cosmetic dermatology clinic for an initial consultation.
Many types of skin cancer look like freckles. Consult a dermatologist or skin cancer specialist before treating any freckle that is changing or looks different from others on your skin.
Keep your skin out of the sun after having treatments for freckle or pigmentation reduction, as they can return with exposure to light.
Different types of freckle treatments
There are several effective treatments for fading freckles. Each has advantages and disadvantages and should be considered with your specific requirements in -references in mind.
Laser freckle removal
When using a laser, a very bright light is directed at the skin. Different colors of skin structures absorb light at different wavelengths; red (blood vessels) and brown (lipids) absorb the most (freckles and other pigmentation).
Freckles can be eliminated by a laser with remarkable efficiency. They employ a single, purpose-built wavelength of light. While lasers can perform a specific task with remarkable efficiency, not all lasers are equally well-suited for use in other contexts. The removal of laser freckles or laser pigmentation may not be possible, for instance, with a hair removal laser.
Light-based treatments like intense pulsed light (IPL) and broadband light (BBL) differ from laser therapy in that they employ a broader spectrum of frequencies. We commonly refer to any treatment that uses light as “laser treatment,” despite the fact that laser and IPL are technically different treatments.
IPL laser treatment
IPL (intense pulsed light) is similar to laser, but a wider range of wavelengths (colours) of light is used. This means an IPL device maybe able to treat other problems while it is treating freckles. For example, most people with sun-damaged skin have both freckles and redness or prominent blood vessels. IPL laser treatment can manage both problems in the same treatment session.
IPL treatments are typically not as intense as traditional laser, so there may be less pain, redness, inflammation and downtime aftertreatment.
BBL laser treatment
Broadband light (BBL) is the form of intense pulsed light we use at Spot Check Clinic. The benefits of BBL treatment include:
- Multiple different treatment settings: more than one issue can be treated in one session, e.g. blood vessels as well as pigmentation or freckles
- Large areas of freckles or other sun damage can be treated quickly and comfortably using the “in motion” technique. The dermal therapist or nurse gently glides the treatment handpiece over the skin rather than repeatedly “stamping” the skin.
- Other treatment benefits are frequently seen: these include reduction of wrinkles, smoother skin and a generally younger appearance.
Before and after photos: BBL freckle removal treatment
The following photos show patients treated at Spot Check Clinic using our Sciton mJoule BBL device for treatment of freckles and pigmentation.
BBL treatment is effective for many skin conditions
BBL is versatile: the operator can adjust the settings so that it can treat multiple skin conditions. At Spot Check Clinic, we have successfully used BBL for:
- Flattening raised scars
- Tightening loose skin, e.g. under the eyes and on the neck
- Hair removal: BBL has substantial advantages over traditional hair removal laser due to its “in motion” capability. Large areas can be treated with much less pain than traditional laser.
- Rosacea, a condition of inflammation and enlarged blood vessels in the facial skin
- Acne
Removing freckles effectively usually requires a course of several treatment sessions.
Using retinoids to remove freckles
how to lessen the appearance of age spots, redness, and creases in the skin. Because of their ability to increase collagen production, retinoids can improve the texture and thickness of skin that has been damaged by sun exposure or aging.
In order to get your hands on the strongest, most efficient, and cost-effective topical retinoids, a doctor’s prescription is required.
A common ingredient in skin lightening products, hydroquinone, is often combined with retinoid to achieve the desired effect. Use of this mixture over a period of months has been shown to diminish the appearance of freckles.
In comparison to laser removal of freckles, this method is both more cost-effective and less painful. However, topical prescription retinoids can cause redness and sensitivity in some people, making them unable to use the product.
Chemical peels as a freckle treatment
Medical professionals refer to sun spots as solar keratoses. These precancerous sun spots are relatively small in size.
To name a few of the chemicals used in Spot Check Clinic’s treatments:
Topical medication applied twice daily for four to six days (depending on the area and the condition being treated)
In-clinic photodynamic therapy involves leaving a cream on the skin for two to three hours. The BBL red LED is then used to activate it.
In both cases, the treated area will become irritated, painful, and possibly swollen, blistered, and full of sores. It will take about two to three weeks for this to settle.
We usually only recommend these treatments to people who have severe pre-cancerous sun damage or certain types of skin cancer because of the severe discomfort they cause afterward. These can frequently be found near a person’s freckles.
Spot Check Clinic’s chemical peel treatments refresh the skin. After treatment, the skin is usually much clearer and smoother.
Applying the prescription cream for 4 days reduces the risk of developing certain types of skin cancer in the treated area for up to 2 years after treatment.
Cryotherapy for sun spot removal
Individual sun spots (either freckles or solar keratoses) can be removed by cryotherapy (freezing with liquid nitrogen).
This is an inexpensive treatment that can be performed quickly during a medical consultation.
There is a risk of lighter or darker pigmentation following treatment, so it’s usually best to treat one or two freckles away from the face as a test before treating multiple freckles or large freckles on the face.
Choosing the right kind of freckle removal treatment for your skin
When considering treatment for freckles, take into account the benefits and disadvantages of each treatment.
| Treatment | Benefits | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Intense pulsed light / broadband light (BBL) | Effective at fading large numbers of frecklesGood for treating a large area quicklyAlmost no risk of scarring or hyper/hypopigmentation after treatmentNo downtime after treatmentUseful for treating multiple skin problems including blood vessels, angiomas, pigmentation, wrinkles, loose skin, keloid scars, rosacea and acne | Usually requires several treatment sessionsMore expensive than cryotherapy, retinoids or skin peel treatments |
| Laser | Effective at fading large numbers of frecklesAlmost no risk of scarring or hyper/hypopigmentation after treatmentPowerful lasers are more effective for very resistant freckles and pigmentation | Usually requires several treatment sessionsMore expensive than cryotherapy, retinoids or skin peel treatmentsMay lead to redness and soreness and downtime after treatment |
| Cryotherapy | Inexpensive (sometimes free if part of a medical consultation)Quick: each freckle is treated in secondsUseful if treating a single freckleMay form a blister or sore after treatment, which can take 2-3 weeks to heal | May lead to increased or decreased pigmentation of the treated skinGentle treatment (to reduce the risk of hyper/hypopigmentation) might not be as effectiveSome people find cryotherapy painful |
| Retinoids | PainlessRelatively inexpensive | Long course of treatmentNot as effective as other methodsMay cause skin irritation |
| Chemical peels / photodynamic therapy | A single treatment session, or a brief course of topical medication applied at homeHighly effective at treating sun damage other than freckles, and some types of skin cancerRejuvenation effect: skin is noticeably smoother and clearer after treatmentMay prevent certain types of skin cancer | Photodynamic treatment is more expensive than topical treatments or cryotherapy (but usually cheaper than laser or IPL)Usually causes significant redness and soreness of the treated areaMay lead to swelling, blistering and soresPhotodynamic therapy can be very painful |
Before you choose, remember:
- Some skin cancers resemble freckles, so you should have freckles checked by an experienced skin cancer doctor or nurse before having them removed. Most laser skin clinics in Australia can’t offer this service
- A combination of treatments is usually more effective than a single treatment. If you have BBL treatment for freckles at Spot Check Clinic, we will discuss ongoing skin maintenance, which may include a range of topical products including a prescription retinoid
- Ongoing skin care and reducing exposure to sunlight is important to reduce the risk of future freckles and skin cancers
- Freckles are a normal and harmless result of sun exposure. If you don’t mind your appearance with freckles, there’s no need to have them treated.
Q switch laser for freckles
When applied to the face, Q-Switched Laser Treatment effectively eliminates unwanted facial features like freckles, tattoos, and dark spots. Rejuvenating and improving the skin’s appearance from within is what this does. Specialists all over the world recommend the treatment for patients with wrinkled skin because it gives them a naturally glowing complexion.
ABOUT THE Q-SWITCHED LASER TREATMENT
The highly selective endogenous melanin of Q-Switched lasers performs as a high-speed shutter.The laser rods store energy in high quantity and emits them efficiently on the most affected areas of the skin. The high-speed pulses have to exit on the affected areas to heal the skin from internally. In nanoseconds are pulses are emitted and the bean stays uniform to avoid any harmful effect. The fractional hand pieces used to reduce the time to allow interaction of the laser beam with the skin. As an increased exposure can damage the skin as well. Laser energy provides quick recovery of the damaged tissues and enhances the skin surface by fixing the internal pattern.
Many people think that the application of a laser can cause a burning effect on sensitive skin. However, that not true, you may feel a bit of a tingling feeling but nothing else than that. This treatment can also be used to remove tattoos from the skin and to remove the stubborn dark spots without damaging the skin.