LASER treatment to Pigmented Lesion

Pigment LASERs target natural skin pigment (melanin), ink or debris in the skin. They work by breaking up pigment by vibration. The fragmented pigment is then gradually cleared by the body over several weeks.

After treatment with a pigment LASER, you would expect to see a white 'frosting' over the surface of the treated area and surrounding purple bruising. The surrounding skin is likely to be red and swollen. The initial colour changes should settle after 10-14 days. Less commonly colour changes following pigment LASER treatment can last for several months or more.

Rarely treatment of pigmented lesions (mainly tattoo ink) can result in a phenomenon known as 'paradoxal darkening' of the pigment producing a dark brown/black colour. This can be reduced by subsequent treatments but may remain.