Pigment specific laser treatment works by removing pigmented or colored structures from the skin. This procedure spares the surrounding structures while matching a laser wavelength to that of a specific target and removing it from the skin.

It takes a few minutes to an hour for this procedure and may necessitate more than one session. This is usually done on an outpatient basis except if this is combined with other surgical procedures that need hospitalization. Anesthesia used may be a numbing spray, local anesthesia or general anesthesia.

A light-absorbing pigment is found in all pigmented lesions and tattoos. This procedure uses laser light which hits the skin and is then reflected, transmitted or absorbed. The energy that is absorbed is the most accountable for the clinical effect. This energy is translated to thermal energy through absorption of heat by the intended targets at the same time sparing the surrounding normal structures.

Laser therapy is ideal for those who have had pigmented lesions that were not effectively removed by other treatments.

Laser Treatment

Expect some temporary swelling and discomfort after the procedure. The other side effects are sensitivity to acute sun exposure, increased sensitivity to makeup, and lightening of the treated area. Some pinkness or redness (erythema) may also last for up to six months.

The patient may be able to resume work in about two weeks. And it would take about 4 to 6 weeks for the patient to perform strenuous activities. Fading of redness of the treated area will happen in three months’ time. Return of pigmentation may occur within 6 to 12 months.

With the use of light energy, the laser will precisely target dark concentrations of melanin. Once the laser light passes through the skin, the pigmented lesions become light or are removed. The light is absorbed by abnormal concentrations of melanin. The swift absorption of light results in the destruction of the melanin; therefore, reducing its concentration. A laser generates a beam of highly concentrated light and different types of lasers create different colors of light. The key to the laser’s effect on the pigmented lesion is the color of light generated by a particular laser. Certain colors of light are absorbed by the pigments in the skin. The appropriate pigmented cells are eliminated through the laser’s light energy which is absorbed by the targeted lesion. Not all pigmented lesion absorbs the same color of light. They vary in color depending on the type of lesion and the natural tone of the skin of the patient. Lasers used before only emit one color of light which requires doctors to utilize two or more lasers and even repetition of sessions in order to treat the pigmented lesions. One pigment specific laser treatment is the VersaPulse C Aesthetic Laser which generates short pulses of wide spectrum of light colors to treat the full range of pigmented lesions. No incisions are involved in doing this procedure.

Unlike other methods, treatment using the laser is comfortable and has less recovery time. Most of the time, anesthesia is not required by patients undergoing this procedure. On the other hand, there are some instances where the doctor chooses to use some form of local anesthesia depending on the nature and location of the lesion, as well as the patient's age. If you have had pigmented lesions that were not effectively removed by other treatments, laser therapy may be the answer to it as long as the previous treatment did not cause any scarring or skin damage.

Laser has the exceptional ability to selectively treat the pigmented lesion without harming or damaging the surrounding structures which makes it a very safe and effective procedure.