Skin Pigmentation Laser Treatment

Laser Pigmentation Treatment Adelaide Medicine Of Cosmetics

Melanin is what gives our skin its colour. The amount of melanin we have in our skin determines if we have a light or dark complexion. Pigmented lesions are dark in colour because the melanin is concentrated in one area of the skin, this is usually the result of overexposure in ultraviolet rays. 

Benign pigmented lesions such as sunspots, age spots, freckles, melasma, and birthmarks are not harmful to the skin’s health. But they do detract us from having an even and luminous complexion. 

There are many skin pigmentation treatment options available to treat these pigmented lesions. My Bliss Clinic’s Pigment Laser Treatment, as the name suggests, is certainly one for the most effective ways to help you get rid of these annoying blemishes.

Types and Symptoms

Skin pigmentation is the result of low and high secretion of melanin pigment by human skin cells (Melanocytes). The quantity of melanin pigment in the skin will determine the human skin color. There are three types of melanin pigment exists such as pheomelanin, eumelanin, and neuromelanin. All types of pigments are responsible for giving different layers and colors to the skin. The common types of skin pigmentation issues are hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation and diffuse pigmentation disorders. Before starting the skin pigmentation treatment hereyou need to have consultation with our doctor to recognize the type of skin pigmentation you have.

Skin pigmentation can appear in the form of brown, black or grey in the form of either small round lesions or patches. The common types of skin pigmentation that we are seeing include sun spots, age spots, freckles and melasma.

How to Get Rid of Hyperpigmentation?

Our patients present with different level of severity of skin pigmentation disorders. Majority presented with mild and localised pigmented lesions on their face, but some presented with severe and extensive pigmented lesions on the whole body.

You can get rid of hyperpigmentation issues by avoiding its common causes and other standard treatments such as:

  • Avoiding excessive sun exposure
  • Get some topical treatments such as cysteamine, Vitamin C, glycolic acid, retinoids and kojic acid.
  • Microdermabrasion
  • Laser Therapy such as Pigment Laser and Fotona 4D laser
  • Microneedling treatment
  • Oral supplements such as Crystal Tomato and Heliocare Fern PLE
  • Medications
  • Polynucleotide injections such as Plinest and Rejuran

Our doctor normally combine at least 2 skin pigmentation treatment options above so that you can see better and faster results in lightening the pigmentation.

Causes of Hyperpigmentation

Some common causes of hyperpigmentation may appear in the form of:

  • Excessive production of melanin pigment in the skin
  • Excessive skin inflammation and sun exposure
  • Use of unwanted or overdoses of drugs or medicines
  • Skin injuries and sensitivity
  • Hormonal changes

Our doctor will recognize the causes of your skin pigmentation and decide the type of treatment that will be effective to get rid of your pigmentation.

Process for Skin Pigmentation Treatment

The process of skin pigmentation treatment may involve the following steps:

Consult with Our Doctor

At the very first step, it is necessary to consult with the doctor to identify the causes, type, severity level, and treatments of skin pigmentation that will be effective for your condition.

Diagnoses and Treatment Plan

Having assessment by our experienced doctor will verify the exact reasons for skin pigmentation and the type of treatment that will be effective for you  Computerized skin analysis will be done to analyse and document your current skin condition. Once identify the causes of skin pigmentation, your doctor will make the right treatment plan for you.

Treatment Preparation and Sessions

Our doctor will advise you on pre-treatment skin preparation before undergoing the skin pigmentation treatment. The treatment area will be cleansed thoroughly and anesthetic cream may be applied if you are undergoing treatments such as pigment laser and injections.

Post-Treatment Care

It is also necessary to follow the post-treatment care advice to maintain good results. The recovery of skin pigmentation treatment may take a few days up to a week. It is necessary to avoid causes of getting skin pigmentation again such as excessive sun exposure, taking the wrong or medicines, using the wrong cosmetics, etc.

What is Pigment Laser Treatment?

Our Pigment Laser Treatment is a Fotona QX MAX Q-switched Nd :YAG which is a US FDA-approved laser that specifically targets on different types of pigmentation. It targets pigments such as birthmarks, sunspots, age spots, freckles, melasma to unwanted tattoos. It breaks up melanin (inks, in cases of tattoo removal) under the skin, which is then removed by our body naturally.

Who should go for the Pigment Laser Treatment?

Pigment Laser Treatment is recommended for those with:

  • Sunspots
  • Age spots/ liver spots
  • Melasma
  • Post-inflammatory dark spots e.g. acne marks
  • Freckles
  • Birthmarks
  • Unwanted tattoos

How many sessions are needed for this skin pigmentation treatment? How often?

Some lighter pigmented lesions can be removed within one to two treatments. Some deeper lesions will require more sessions of the Pigment Laser Treatment.

Patients with pigmented lesions such as sunspots, age spots, melasma, freckles and post-inflammatory dark spots can receive this treatment once every 2 to 4 weeks. The treatment interval for birthmarks and tattoos is between 5 to 8 weeks.

Is the Pigment Laser Treatment painful? Is it safe?

No, the Pigment Laser Treatment is not painful and applying numbing cream prior to the procedure is optional when treating most pigmented lesions. Numbing cream and cryogen (cool air) will be used when performing procedures that require higher laser energy such as birthmark and tattoo removal.

When done by experienced physicians, this Pigment Laser Treatment is very safe. This is suitable for most skin types except very dark skin type.

Is there any downtime after the Pigment Laser Treatment?

There is no downtime post-treatment except in cases of birthmark and tattoo removal. There will be mild redness which will subside within hours. You can return to your normal activities immediately after the Pigment Laser Treatment.

For birthmark and tattoo removal, there might be pinpoint bleeding, temporary darkening and scabbing after the procedure. This will resolve within a few days with proper post-treatment care in the treated area.

What do I need to avoid before and after the Pigment Laser Treatment?

It is very important to minimise sun exposure 2 weeks before and after the Pigment Laser Treatment. You should also follow the post-treatment protocol carefully. This will be provided after the treatment. Certain skincare products such as acidic and Vitamin A creams need to be avoided for 3 to 5 days after the Pigment Laser Treatment.

Fotona QX MyBliss 2
Pigment Laser Before After 2
Pigment Laser Before After1

Message from Dr. Elson

Prior to having Pigment Laser Treatment, I always recommend my patients to go for SilkPeel DermalInfusion, which will exfoliate the dead skin away and give way to better laser penetration into the skin. Pure Whitening Program combines these two treatments with Vitamin C Iontophoresis for better pigmentation lightening effects. For faster results, patients are advised to concurrently use skin pigmentation treatment such as pigment lightening cream Cyspera.