Pigmented Lesions
 

Pigmented Lesion
Before	After
Female with Pigmented Lesion Before and 1 Year After 1 IPL Treatments

We’re all born with birthmarks (benign pigmented lesions), even if its only a few freckles. And some of us are born with more prominent pigmented lesions, such as café-au-lait spots, that can be cosmetically troublesome if on the face, neck or some other visible area. Age spots, too, can be cosmetically bothersome. They’re caused by excessive exposure to the sun, and most adults eventually get them. And some women acquire unwanted pigmented lesions from the hormonal changes caused by pregnancy or birth control pills. There used to be little you could do about pigmented lesions. But now laser technology has revolutionized treatment so that many pigmented lesions can be virtually erased.

Understanding pigmented lesions

Pigmented lesions are caused by an excess of melanin in certain skin cells (melanin is the substance that gives skin its color). Some pigmented lesions, such as café-au-lait, hormonal and age spots, are closer to the surface (in the epidermis), while others are deeper in the skin (in the dermis). More recently, dermabrasion, cryosurgery and other techniques have been tried, but they can leave a scar or a visible white, unpigmented area.
Now there’s the new VersaPulse© Aesthetic Laser, a state-of-the-art system specially designed to treat a full range of pigmented lesions.
 

Pigmented Lesion
Before	After
Female with Pigmented Lesion on the Cheek Before and 2 Months After 2 IPL Treatments

Understanding laser treatment

A laser produces a beam of highly concentrated light. Different types of lasers produce different colors of light. The color of light produced by a particular laser is the key to the laser’s effect on pigmented lesions. Particular colors of light are absorbed by particular colors or pigments in the skin. The laser’s light energy, which is absorbed by the targeted lesions, eliminates the appropriate pigmented cells.

The VersaPulse advantage

Pigmented lesions vary in color, depending on the type of lesion and the natural tone of your skin. This means that not every lesion absorbs the same color of light. Earlier lasers emitted only one color of light, often requiring doctors to use two or more lasers and repeated sessions to treat pigmented lesions.

The VersaPulse C Aesthetic Laser produces short pulses of a wide range of colors to treat the full spectrum of tattoo ink. The entire treatment involves no incisions.

What you can expect

Removing age or hormonal spots may take only one or two 40-minute sessions; café-au-lait spots and other birthmarks often take more sessions. Sessions are usually spaced 6-8 weeks apart and are performed in our offices without the costs and risks of hospitalization or general anesthesia.

The laser treatment itself feels like numerous snaps with a rubberband. Most patients do not require anesthesia during the procedure. Topical or local anesthesia is provided for those who do.

The appearance of the treated area immediately after a laser session will vary from patient to patient depending on the extent of treatment. Immediate after-effects, if any, are minor. They may include redness, light crusting or tenderness, all of which disappear in a short time. We will be happy to tell you more about your treatment and what you can expect.

Ask us about the VersaPulse laser and how we can use it to treat your pigmented lesions.