No one naturally has perfectly flawless skin. An estimated 90 percent of adults have one or more patches of pigmented skin. These pigment spots are mostly harmless and rarely require medical removal. Nevertheless, many sufferers perceive the visible hyperpigmentation as aesthetically disturbing. For these cases, modern procedures are now available to gently and effectively remove the pigmented areas of the skin. In the case of mild and benign skin changes, dermatologists use modern methods such as laser therapy, which gently helps to improve the appearance of the skin.
Pigment spots have different causes
The term “pigment spots” summarizes different skin changes that vary in color and shape. These age spots can be hereditary, but they can also have other causes. Some scientists consider UV radiation to be the main cause of premature skin aging. Since the largest human sensory organ reacts to UV radiation with color pigments, it activates a natural protective function, so to speak. However, after excessive exposure to the sun, the melanin-producing skin cells become disrupted, preventing them from functioning properly. This creates batch production of the tanning pigment melanin, which is now no longer distributed evenly over the skin. As a result, the pigment spots appear because the body does not break down the deposited melanin. These can often be seen in exposed areas of the face, décolleté or hands.
Factors such as smoking, injuries, stress-related causes or the natural aging process also cause pigmentation. There are also hormonal reasons too pigment spots and age spots contribute, women are affected more frequently than men. Favored by the hormones progesterone and estrogen, the spots appear more frequently when taking birth control pills or during pregnancy. In particular, the patches of skin formed during pregnancy often regress on their own and fade over time.
Laser therapy for gentle and effective removal of pigment spots
In medicine, different treatment options have proven themselves for pigment spots. In some cases, dermatologists use chemical peels that loosen dead cells from the top layer of skin. This measure is intended to help the skin form new cells and develop a more even complexion. In practice, peelings in particular that contain fruit acid are anything but gentle. Since the acid aggressively penetrates into the deep layers of the skin, it causes severe irritation if used improperly.
A gentler method, which is preferably used for benign pigment spots, is laser therapy. With this medical therapy, skin specialists activate the body’s own self-healing powers. By penetrating the skin layer, highly concentrated pulses of light heat up the pigments intensely. Due to the heat, the deposited parts disintegrate into many small pieces of debris. The immune cells and the lymphatic system then remove the remains of the “debris” so that new skin cells can form. In some cases, the pigment spots disappear completely due to the laser or appear significantly paler.
What patients can expect from laser therapy
The advantage of laser therapy is that it is gentle on the skin. In contrast to the risky peelings, pigmented skin areas can be treated with lasers with little pain and side effects. Normally, patients find the treatment minimally uncomfortable, but not painful. Doctors and patients decide together how many treatments are needed to perform pigment removal. In general, the number, size and color intensity of the pigment spots determine how many sessions are required in each individual case. Depending on the body region, such a treatment takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Doctors then recommend up to eight weeks of recovery time before another procedure should be performed.
Are side effects to be expected with laser therapy?
Researchers and dermatologists assume that it is well tolerated overall. Since the laser procedure is minimally invasive, the pain experienced by most patients is limited. They often only notice a brief “tweak” in the skin, which disappears immediately after the irradiation. The experts classify slightly reddened and swollen areas of skin as expected side effects. Side effects beyond the abrasions that develop over time are usually very rare. If in doubt, people with serious previous illnesses should seek advice on possible side effects or interactions in advance.
Proper pre-treatment and aftercare for laser therapy: what matters
Before laser therapy, the doctors conduct a comprehensive consultation with the patient. Before a decision is made for or against the procedure, the doctors should be informed about the skin diseases present and the medication being taken. After the consultation, the doctors determine in a skin analysis which form of pigmentation is present. There is no specific “precaution” required for laser therapy, but patients should avoid excessive sunbathing a few days before the procedure.
After the treatment, a visible crust remains on the skin for one to two weeks. In order for the healing process to progress well, patients should initially avoid direct sunlight. This ensures that the pigment-producing cells do not activate again. In addition, the doctors try to counteract the risk of infection prophylactically with a cream containing antibiotics. During the first few days, no dirty water should get onto the skin area, so patients should initially avoid baths and showers. After a few days, personal hygiene can be carried out as usual, and cosmetics are also no problem.
Patients do not have to expect scarring as long as they do not scrape off the scab and support the healing of the wound. The risk of a remaining scar can also be reduced if the treatment is carried out by a qualified specialist. Consequently, to ensure satisfactory results, patients should consult a dermatologist. Physicians who have completed an additional course of study are considered to be particularly qualified of the German Dermatological Laser Society have graduated.
For whom laser therapy is not suitable
There are only a few contraindications against laser therapy. For people with very dark complexion, laser treatment may not produce satisfactory results in some cases. People with freckles or a very fair complexion could possibly react sensitively to the energetic light. In these cases it may be necessary to adjust the energy of the laser accordingly.
01/25/2022