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Do Facial Lasers Work on Dark Spots?

Hyperpigmentation can mar your complexion, causing uneven skin tone that may make you look and feel older. Fortunately, these dark spots are treatable. At Desert Med Aesthetics in Indian Wells, CA, we offer highly effective and safe laser treatments to revive your flawless skin.

What Are Facial Lasers?

Facial lasers are state-of-the-art technology that penetrate your skin and address various signs of aging, including wrinkles, fine lines, acne scars, textural issues, and hyperpigmentation. Our expert team has carefully selected these advanced devices to ensure successful treatments and patient safety.

  • CO2: This device is excellent for treating warts, enlarged pores, wrinkles, scars, and more profound skin flaws using oxygen rather than infrared light.
  • Intense pulsed light: IPL lasers emit pulses of light at various strengths and wavelengths. They are especially useful for removing sunspots, age spots, freckles, and other pigmentary issues.
  • Fractional: Fractional lasers combine CO2 and IPL technology to treat acne scars and wrinkles. They create tiny, microscopic treatment zones that stimulate collagen and elastin production. The fractional approach rejuvenates with fewer side effects and shorter downtime.

What Causes Dark Spots?

Dark spots, also called hyperpigmentation, can appear on any skin tone or type. This condition occurs due to excess melanin production, which can result from causes like sun exposure, medications, pregnancy, stress, trauma or injury, and specific health conditions.

How Do Lasers Treat Dark Spots?

Laser resurfacing treatments use targeted beams of light to break apart the melanin below the skin’s surface. Then, specialized immune cells called macrophages recognize the fragmented melanin as foreign material and transport it to the lymphatic system, which eliminates it from the body.

Our Cutera Limelight IPL treatment is a skin rejuvenation procedure that tackles redness, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation. This innovative solution uses a high-powered, handheld device that delivers concentrated pulses of broad-spectrum light to the affected areas, targeting the melanin to return your skin to a smooth, even tone.

Are Lasers Effective on All Skin Tones?

Lasers are not universally safe for all skin tones. For example, some devices can cause complications like discoloration for patients with more melanin. As a board-certified professional with extensive aesthetic training and experience helping people with different skin tones and types, Dr. Doriana Cosgrove

can evaluate your skin and recommend the ideal treatment for you. 

How Should You Care for Your Skin After Laser Treatments?

Minimal downtime is one of the most significant advantages of non-surgical laser skin renewal. Many of our patients schedule their appointments for their lunch breaks and return to work immediately afterward without missing a beat.

Laser treatments will make your skin more sensitive to UV rays, so you must wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and continue reapplying it every two hours. We also recommend pausing retinoid or exfoliating acid use for at least a few weeks after your laser treatment.

To see further improvements to your skin, you can gently cleanse with a non-abrasive face cleanser and apply a hydrating serum, followed by your favorite moisturizer.

What Are Alternatives for Treating Dark Spots?

  • Chemical peels: Medical-grade peels include proven ingredients like lactic acid and glycolic acid. We apply the solution to your skin as a gel, allowing it to exfoliate damaged and dead cells. Within a day or two of your procedure, your skin will start flaking off, revealing a fresh, healthy complexion. Continue applying moisturizer and following other aftercare instructions as directed.
  • Custom medical facials: A custom medical facial involves cleansing, exfoliating, and replenishing your skin with prescription or medical-grade products tailored to your unique needs. These treatments can address a host of skin conditions and problems, including dry skin, acne, skin laxity, and rosacea.

What Do Experts Say About Laser Treatment for Dark Spots?

Skin experts like dermatologists, aestheticians, and plastic surgeons agree that laser treatments are an effective solution for hyperpigmentation. This technology directs energy into the subdermal region,  triggering accelerated cellular turnover for a refreshed complexion.

Is a Facial Laser Treatment for Dark Spots the Right Choice for You?

Consulting with a skin specialist is the best way to determine if facial laser treatments will successfully treat your dark spots. Dr. Cosgrove can analyze your skin concerns and ask questions about your medical history and skin care regimen to determine if lasers are appropriate.

Schedule Your Dark Spot Treatment at Desert Med Aesthetics!

Dark spots may be a natural and predictable element of the aging process, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with them. If you are interested in long-lasting dark spot removal results, contact us today to schedule your skin consultation.