Laser Pigment Removal Can Get You the Skin You’ve Always Wanted!
Sun exposure, aging, hormones, and other factors can contribute to dark spots and uneven pigmentation. If these concerns affect the appearance of your skin, laser and light-based treatments may help improve the look of unwanted pigmentation and create a more even-looking complexion.
At Dream Spa Medical’s Patriot Place location in Foxborough, several technologies may be used to address pigmentation concerns, including GentleMax Pro™, Frax 1550 and 1940, IPL Photofacial, and PICO Genesis™. The appropriate treatment depends on the type of pigmentation, your skin characteristics, and your individual goals.
What Can Laser Pigment Removal Treat?
Pigment treatments may be considered for concerns such as sun spots, age spots, freckles, hyperpigmentation, melasma, and blotchy skin. Some light-based treatments may also improve the appearance of redness and other visible signs of sun damage.
Because pigmentation can have different causes and appearances, treatment needs to be individualized. During your consultation, your provider can evaluate the area and determine which approach may be appropriate.
How Does Pigment Treatment Work?
Laser and light-based treatments deliver controlled energy to targeted areas of the skin. Depending on the technology selected, this energy can interact with unwanted pigment or stimulate changes within the skin that improve its overall appearance.
After treatment, pigmented areas may temporarily become darker before gradually fading as the skin recovers. Redness, warmth, or mild swelling can also occur. The recovery process and visible results vary depending on the treatment and the pigmentation being addressed.
Some concerns may require multiple sessions. Your provider can explain the recommended treatment schedule during your consultation.
“Even out your skin's tone with Laser Pigment Removal at Dream Spa!”
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Sun spots
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Age Spots
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Hyperpigmentation
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Melasma
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Freckles
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Birthmarks
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Blotchy skin
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Redness/rosacea
Laser Pigment Removal Before & After
Preparing for and Caring for Your Skin
Sun protection is an important part of pigment treatment. Dream Spa Medical recommends avoiding direct sun exposure and tanning before treatment and following your provider’s instructions regarding skincare products.
After your appointment, temporary darkening, redness, warmth, or sensitivity may occur. You will receive specific aftercare instructions based on the treatment performed.
These may include avoiding excessive heat and strenuous exercise for a short period and protecting the treated area from direct sun exposure.
It is also important to have new or changing skin lesions appropriately evaluated before cosmetic treatment rather than assuming every dark spot is suitable for pigment removal.
Laser Pigment Removal at Patriot Place
If sun spots, freckles, age spots, or uneven pigmentation are affecting the appearance of your skin, a consultation can help you understand which treatment options may be appropriate.
Dream Spa Medical at Patriot Place in Foxborough offers several laser and light-based technologies that can be selected according to your pigmentation concerns, skin characteristics, and treatment goals.
Contact Dream Spa Medical to schedule a consultation and learn more about laser pigment removal in Foxborough, MA.
Look Better & Feel Better Today
Let our team help you on your aesthetic journey!
No single thing causes noticeable skin damage. Hyperpigmentation can be caused by sun damage, genetics, or aging. It all varies from patient to patient.
But what causes dark spots? Melanin is traditionally the culprit. It’s designed to shade your skin, but when you spend too much time in the sun, the melanin might gather in one specific area of the skin. This can cause overly pigmented lesions and dark spots.
One of our top methods for removing hyperpigmentation is the IPL Photofacial. The IPL Photofacial works by sending intense pulses of light down into the skin. Your blood vessels then begin to compress. As a result, your skin tone, texture, and pigmentation improve. You can also see a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles.
In the days and weeks after your laser pigment removal, you will begin to see slow, continuous skin-clearing results. Depending on the patient, we may suggest multiple treatments. You may need 3 to 5 treatments, scheduled 4 to 6 weeks apart.
If you’re sick of seeing blotchy, irritated skin, then consider an IPL Photofacial. This treatment is designed to minimize those symptoms, so that your skin looks smoother, shinier, and healthier. Schedule a consultation and ask about this treatment.
Pigmented lesions like sun spots and freckles absorb a particular wavelength of light easier than surrounding tissue. Our lasers produce that wavelength and send it into the areas with problematic pigmentation. The lesions absorb the light, and the melanin breaks down into micro-particles.
Over the course of a few minutes, the targeted lesion will grow pale. It will then darken, and over the course of 1 or 2 weeks, the body will shed the unwanted pigment.
If you’re unsure about the specifics of your hyperpigmentation, there’s no need to worry. During your consultation, a qualified member of our team will meet with you and go over your cosmetic concerns. From there, they’ll identify the lesion so we can develop a treatment plan.
Our laser pigment removal treatments in Foxborough are designed to target abnormally dark concentrations of melanin. It won’t target nearby, evenly-toned skin. So you don’t have to worry about shedding healthy skin. After the hyperpigmentation is gone, the body will replace it with your natural melanin.
Pre- & Post-Care Instructions for Laser Pigment Removal in Foxborough
- Women who are pregnant should not receive laser treatment. If you are nursing and would like to pursue treatment, we ask that you consult your PCP for clearance.
- Avoid direct sun exposure & tanning beds for 2 weeks prior to your appointment. We will not treat “tanned” skin for any pigment removal treatments.
- Please avoid using self-tanners for 3 weeks prior to your appointment specifically in the area to be treated. If you have used self-tanner outside of the 3-week timeframe we ask that you please exfoliate the area to ensure no remnants of the product are left in the area to be treated. The self-tanner could compromise your treatment, as the laser cannot distinguish between self-tanner and melanin (a common target for all laser wavelengths); therefore, the laser may not reach its intended target. More importantly, the laser energy could burn the surface of the skin since the laser is targeting the “tanned area” instead of the intended treatment area.
- Your provider will help guide you in your current home care routine and make recommendations on what to avoid. As a general rule, active ingredients such as acids (glycolic, salicylic, etc.), retinol products (Rx or over-the-counter), or topical prescriptions such as antibiotic or steroid creams should be discontinued 7 days prior to your appointment.
- The exception to this would be if you are using our suggested Environ Vitamin A treatment cream or serum (Youth Essentia A or Skin Essentia A). These products should always be used leading up to your treatment.
- If you are prone to Herpes Labialis outbreaks, we suggest pretreating with an antiviral medication for 2 days prior to your treatment and 2 days post-treatment. Dream Spa Medical is happy to provide you with a prescription, assuming that you are a candidate for this prescription.
- We ask that if you are currently taking oral antibiotics or steroids, you discontinue the medication for 10 days prior to your appointment.
- Please inform us of any tattoos or permanent makeup in the treatment area. We want to be sure to avoid treating near any ink, as the laser may disturb or discolor the area.
- It is best if you arrive to your appointment free of makeup, perfume, lotion, or deodorant in the treatment area.
- We strongly suggest that if you are moving forward with pigmentation removal treatments, whether it be just a few stubborn spots or years of sun damage, that you begin using home care products that are tyrosinase inhibitors. These are ingredients that block your melanocytes from producing more melanin. Melanin is produced and travels to the skin’s surface for many reasons—sun, heat, pollution, etc. Using these products will help to ensure that once we remove the lesions, the ingredients will prevent them from returning. We suggest using a SkinCeuticals Vitamin C product mixed with Environ’s Melafade system. These products work together to fight all of the external effects on your melanocytes and will greatly improve your results. We suggest using these products prior to treatment, but it is not a requirement. However, continuing to use these products post-treatment will be a key component in your journey to reclaiming your radiant complexion.
- We always suggest hydrating as much as possible prior to any treatment at Dream Spa Medical. It is a great way to help your body to function at its best and will help to accelerate your healing time as well as enhance results.
- The treated area will feel uncomfortable and warm immediately after treatment. Redness, swelling, and darkening of the lesions are an expected and desired response. Your provider will soothe your skin with cool compresses. Based on the intensity of your treatment, your skin will feel a moderate to intense heat sensation for a minimum of 24 hours. We encourage you to use a cool compress for mild to moderate heat or disposable ice packs (provided in your post-care kit) for more intensive temperatures. Apply ice to the area for 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off in 5-minute increments.
- You may take an over-the-counter pain medication such as Tylenol or Motrin for discomfort.
- If you are experiencing heat and discomfort for more than 48 hours, please contact Dream Spa Medical so that our team can assess and make appropriate recommendations.
- Calming products such as SkinCeuticals HydraBalm and/or SkinCeuticals Epidermal Repair will be provided in your post-care kit for you to apply to your skin post-treatment.
- Your provider may make additional recommendations for prolonged use and to enhance your healing.
- You will apply Epidermal Repair 2 times per day. You should apply HydraBalm throughout the day, as we want you to keep your skin moist at all times. Hydrated and healthy skin will regenerate at a faster rate than damaged and dry skin.
- Your skin will be in a healing and regenerating phase for a minimum of 2 weeks. During this time, you will notice a darkening of the treated lesions. They will then begin to crust, and eventually your skin will most likely appear as though it has little pepper flakes on it. This will then dissipate, and your pigmentation will appear lighter and your skin brighter.
- Always use a physical protectant SPF (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) and reapply throughout the day.
- In some cases, you may experience a prolonged hive-like appearance to your skin along with an itchy sensation in the treated area. This is normal and in most cases will subside within 2 to 4 days if treated with an over-the-counter hydrocortisone product.
- Avoid the use of perfumes, lotions, and deodorants in the treated area for 72 hours.
- Avoid strenuous exercise, sweating, and excessive temperatures such as a sauna for at least 48 hours.
- If you are treating your body, we suggest avoiding tight, constricting clothes, as this will allow your skin to cool and heal properly.
- We strongly encourage you to avoid direct sun exposure to the treated area or the use of tanning beds for at least 4 weeks following this procedure.
- You may proceed with any injectable treatment immediately post-procedure if you are simply treating a few lesions. If you are receiving a full photofacial, we suggest waiting at least a week for any injectable treatments. All cosmetic treatments, including facials and peels, should be avoided for at least 2 weeks post-treatment.
For Face and Neck Areas
- We strongly recommend ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica as a base in the morning and ISDIN Mineral Brush for reapplying throughout the day.
- Your provider will make appropriate home care recommendations tailored to your specific plan, but a general rule is to avoid all active ingredients such as acids (glycolic, salicylic, etc.), retinol products (Rx or over-the-counter), or topical prescriptions such as antibiotic or steroid creams until:
- Your skin feels “back to normal,” or
- A minimum of 7 days have passed, or
- Until the crusting has subsided.
- The exception to this would be if you are using our suggested Environ Vitamin A treatment cream or serum (Youth Essentia A or Skin Essentia A). These products can be used as early as 2 days post-treatment.
It may take up to 3 sessions for the desired effect. It took quite some time for all of these lesions to develop; therefore, we need to allot the appropriate amount of time to remove them while preserving the integrity of the surrounding skin. In general, the lighter a lesion is, the harder it is to remove. Alternatively, the darker the lesion is, the treatment and removal of it is typically “easier.”
Please be sure to always consult with your dermatologist prior to removing any type of lesions to ensure that they are benign and safe to treat. We will always perform a thorough skin check and suggest that any lesion you have that does not look safe to treat be first checked by your dermatologist.