Pigmented lesions

Before and afters
Frequently asked questions

Irregular pigmentation may now be easily treated with laser therapy using intense pulsed light (IPL). Unsightly age spots, sun spots or liver spots can be removed with this non-invasive rejuvenation treatment that can be safely used on the face, neck, hands or body.

Prices from £200

Frequently asked questions

How is the treatment carried out?

A layer of gel is applied to the area of skin so as to guide the light to the skin. The area may also be cooled to increase comfort during treatment. The light applicator is placed on the skin and a short pulse of light is released. The applicator is then moved to the neighbouring area and the process is repeated until the entire area is treated. The chilled gel is removed and the area moisturised using aloe vera gel.

Firstly a cool gel is applied to the area of treatment which transports the pulses of light from the laser applicator which is placed against the skin. The applicator is moved around the treatment area

Am I suitable for treatment?

Yes, almost everyone can be treated apart from very dark skinned and tanned individuals. However, not all pigmented lesions can be treated. Large, dark moles should not be treated, nor should lesions covering a large part of the body. The pigmented marks that respond the best are superficial lesions such as those caused by sun damage (sun spots) and freckles.

Everyone is eligible for this treatment except for people who are very dark skinned or tanned. Some skin pigmentation conditions such as large dark moles should not be treated and it is not recommended that large areas of the body receive this treatment. However it is an excellent treatment for superficial lesions and pigmentation damage from sun spots and freckles.

What other contra-indications are there to treatment?

Photo-sensitivity
Darker skin or recently tanned skin
Keloid scarring (overgrowth of scar tissue)
Active herpes (cold sores)
Skin infections

How does the treatment feel?

Any discomfort is usually described as acceptable and similar to a quick hot pin prick and although individuals vary anaesthesia is not required.

What should I expect after the treatment?

It is normal to have redness and for the skin to feel slightly warmer after treatment. Lesions will darken and become more apparent in the beginning but these marks will gently flake off the skin’s surface and new healthy skin will be revealed. Such marks may reappear if exposed to the sun so an effective sunscreen should be applied to protect the area.

Are there any side effects?

The skin of some patients becomes quite red immediately after treatment. However, most patients experience no side effects and the redness usually disappears within hours to a few days. Very rarely hyper-pigmentation (darkening), hypo-pigmentation (whitening) or blistering of the skin may occur, but these are usually temporary.

No side effects have been reported apart from the immediate reddening of the area following treatment and this will disappear sometimes within hours or maybe a couple of days. In a few cases hyper-pigmentation (darkening), hypo-pigmentation (whitening) or even blistering of the skin has happened but these conditions usually disappear.

How long does each treatment take?

A typical session will last between 15 – 30 minutes but this will depend on the size and type of pigmentation.

How many treatments are necessary?

Similarly the number of treatments will depend on the individual condition but normally 1-3 treatments will be needed and they should occur at regular intervals of 4-6 weeks.