Does hypopigmentation after laser go away

The most commonly occurring side effects are hypo and hyperpigmentation, the risk being higher in darker skin types. Hypopigmentation occur as small white macules matching the laser spot size and shape, within weeks of treatment. [3] These may last for few months and may rarely become permanent.

It is important to realize that this is not a permanent lightening of the skin but it resolves slowly. In most cases it takes many months or possibly even a year to go away completely. Since post inflammatory hypopigmentation is a temporary problem usually no treatment is required.

IPL is commonly used on the face, but treatment for skin discoloration can also be used on the chest, neck, and hands. Unfortunately, IPL is not effective on melasma and can exacerbate the hypopigmentation (patches of skin that are lighter than your overall skin tone).

One of the classic methods for removing post inflammatory hyperpigmentation from lasers are chemical peels. There are a variety of types and strengths of chemical peels, from trichloroacetic (TCA) acid, salicylic acid, to glycolic acid, to treat PIH.

White scars, or “hypopigmented” scars, are due to a loss of melanocytes that manufacture pigment. This loss is usually permanent, but can sometimes be improved by fractional laser resurfacing, which allows some of the pigment cells to migrate back into the lighter-colored skin areas.

Pharmaceutical treatments

Puvasol, topical psoralen, and ultraviolet light (natural sunlight or UVA phototherapy), may help speed the repigmentation of hypopigmented patches, particularly in cases caused by laser therapy.

There is no cure. Treatment may include covering smaller patches with long-lasting dyes, light-sensitive medicines, UV light therapy, corticosteroid creams, surgery, and removing the remaining pigment from the skin (depigmentation).

Fractional laser resurfacing is very effective in treating hypopigmented scars and have absolutely no adverse effects. Dermabrasion – This process sands the uppermost layer of the skin away, and therefore is a popular treatment for acne scars, hyperpigmentation, and hypopigmentation as well.

In time, some collagen breaks down at the site of the wound and the blood supply reduces. The scar gradually becomes smoother and softer. Although scars are permanent, they can fade over a period of up to 2 years. It’s unlikely they’ll fade any more after this time.

Micro Needling and Hypo-Pigmentation

Skin needling triggers melanocytes production and enables migration of melanocytes from the surrounding skin into the hypo-pigmented area. Treating hypopigmentation with micro needling has shown promising results.

We have lasers that can treat the discoloration of a scar. Red and brown scars respond more readily to laser treatment. White scars can be very difficult to improve, but we have seen some success cases in improving the scar color.

After a series of three treatments at eight-week intervals with an ablative fractionated CO2 laser device, the hypopigmentation and line of pigmentary demarcation between the face and neck improved by 75 percent.

Hypertrophic Scars

These red and raised scars, like keloids, are the result of excessive collagen production during the healing process. Hypertrophic scars, however, confine themselves to the boundaries of the injury. Burns scars are included in this category.

Scars that appear white in color are called hypopigmented scars. Hypopigmented scarring is a common complication, particularly in patients who have undergone surgical procedures, deep or medium-depth resurfacing procedures, or have a prior history of traumatic wounds or burns.