Just about everyone has a few obvious brown spots on their skin. Freckles, “age spots”, and dark birthmarks are just a few of the commonly known skin discolorations generally referred to as pigmented lesions. While Retin-A and bleaching creams may help some, results are often disappointing. Today’s advanced laser technology allows us to dramatically lighten or altogether eliminate these discolorations.
How does laser treatment work?
What are the alternatives?
What types of lesions can be treated?
What are the treatments like?
How many treatments will I need?
How does laser treatment work?
Melanin is what gives our skin its color. Pigmented lesions are dark in color simply because melanin is abnormally concentrated in one area of the skin. High concentrations of melanin can be due to various factors. Some types present at birth, but most occur with age or as a result of over-exposure to the sun’s damaging rays. Lasers used for pigment removal emit an intense beam of green or red light which is absorbed by abnormal concentrations of melanin-containing cells. The melanin granules are broken up into tiny fragments by the laser energy, and are then absorbed through the bodies natural cleansing system. This disruption of melanin results in lightening of the lesion.
What are the alternatives?
Topical medications and creams can lighten age spots and freckles but the process if often very slow and the fading incomplete. Other options include surgical excision, dermabrasion, chemical peel, cryotherapy, or electro-surgery. Unfortunately, the results of using these techniques are often less than satisfactory and significant complications such as scarring and pigmentation changes are commonly seen. Lasers offer a much safer alternative, targeting the abnormal pigment while sparing the healthy surrounding skin.
What types of lesions can be treated?
Laser treatment is most commonly used for removing age spots, liver spots, freckles, and many brown birthmarks. The laser cannot be used for removal of lesions that are cancerous or suspected of being cancerous.
What are the treatments like?
The laser emits energy in very short flashes of light called “pulses”. The impact from the energy felt from each pulse of light is similar to the snap of a thin rubber band. The vast majority of patients tolerate this well without anesthesia.
How many treatments will I need?
Freckles and age spots, the most commonly treated blemishes, typically require only 1-2 laser treatments to achieve the desired degree of lightening. More extensive pigmented lesions, such as certain types of birthmarks, always require multiple treatments. Treatment sessions usually take from 10-30 minutes and are scheduled at 4-8 week intervals.
Vascular birthmarks such as port wine stains and hemangiomas are red, pink, or bluish discolorations that sometimes appear at birth. In many cases, they develop with age. They are made up of many tiny blood vessels grouped closely together in the skin. Port wine stains tend to grow with the patient, darken in color, and will never go away if left untreated. Hemangiomas may grow very rapidly after birth but often go away with time. Some, however, may impair the function of another organ and should be treated before they advance to this stage. Development of the pulsed dye laser has revolutionized the management of these disorders.
How does laser treatment work?
What are the treatments like?
How many treatments are needed?
Are there any side effects?
What results can be expected?
How does laser treatment work?
The pulsed dye laser emits an intense beam of yellow light in very short pulses. This light energy is absorbed by the abnormal blood vessels within the lesion which are subsequently gently heated and destroyed. Because only the abnormal blood vessels are targeted by the laser light, damage to the surrounding healthy skin is minimal.
What are the treatments like?
Patients typically report that each pulse of light feels like the snap of a thin rubber band. Most adults tolerate treatments without the need for anesthesia, although treatments of larger lesions may be less comfortable. Children, and particularly infants, may have a lower pain threshold and may require a sedative or anesthesia to tolerate the procedure.
How many treatments are needed?
The number of treatments will depend upon the size, thickness, and darkness of the birthmark. Most patients need at least five treatments for optimum results. The first 2-3 treatments will produce the most dramatic improvements.
Are there any side effects?
Unlike other methods of treatment, the pulsed dye laser reduces the potential for scarring or changes in skin texture. Patients do, however, experience some temporary bruising around the treatment site. This blue-gray discoloration, called purpura, may last from 7-14 days. Some patients occasionally experience a temporary tan discoloration of the skin for a few months following treatment. This can be minimized by avoiding excessive sun exposure for a few weeks after the procedure.
What results can be expected?
Most birthmarks will lighten by at least 75%. Some will fade completely.
