Now that I have found alternative treatments to the traditional facials, which tends to include a lot of laser. I recently read an article of a dermatologist that doesn’t use laser because she was prone to pigmentation. I spoke to my skin guru, Rebecca Treston of EUROMED clinic to find out the truth.

The answer is no. Any laser that creates heat can potentially cause hyper pigmentation but this potential side effect can be avoided completely if you choose your practitioner wisely.

Although many clinics offer laser treatments, it is vital to choose an experienced laser specialist for these sorts of treatments. Someone who is a trained laser specialist will have expert knowledge that will ensure they know how to deal with different skin types, different hair types and any complications that could potentially arise, which will ensure side negative effects such as burning and/or hyperpigmentation can be evaded.
To avoid hyperpigmentation, there are a couple of rules that you should follow. These include:

• Protecting your skin from the sun is essential to avoid any skin darkening caused by increased pigment in the skin so avoid direct sun exposure before and after treatment and if possible avoid the sun completely for at least a month before the treatment.

• If patient already has hyper pigmentation, then topical bleach and prep creams can be used.

• Use anti-inflammatory after each treatment as this will prevent any significant skin inflammation or redness occurring.

• Use an anti-oxidant and a professional moisturising cream with an SPF after every treatment.

It is safe to use lasers on all skin types but extreme diligence needs to be exercised, especially when the patient has darker skin or a pre-existing melasma.