Laser Treatment FAQs

The laser preferentially targets cells with abnormal amounts of melanin. These abnormal cells are damaged and typically slough off in about a week. These cells are then replaced by normal appearing cells without excess melanin.

It is easier to successfully remove brown spots from individuals with lighter skin types. It may not be possible to remove brown spots from darker individuals without causing light spots on the skin. We can best evaluate your particular brown spots and skin type at the time of your appointment.

Typically one treatment makes a big difference. Sometimes retreatment is necessary to further improve results.”

Most brown spots are treated with pulse of the laser. This quick pulse feels feels hot and sometimes the feeling of hotness can last several minutes. It is typical for brown spots to darken and look worse for 1-2 weeks after which the spots slough off leaving new slightly pink skin underneath. Over time the spot usually returns to the same appearance as the normal surrounding skin.

We have lasers that are safe for all skin types. We use the Alexandrite laser setting for lighter skin types and the Nd:YAG laser setting for darker skin types.

You may feel a slight discomfort during treatment, often described as a sensation like a rubber band snapping against the skin. However, most clients tolerate it well.

After a series of approximately 8 treatments, you should have very little hair remaining. Even though it takes a number of treatments to get permanent results, you will have very little growth from the very first treatment. So as long as you schedule your treatments at the recommended intervals, there should be very little hair growth all the way through your treatment sessions.

Most patients have no discomfort after the treatment. Often there is very mild redness. Some areas, particularly areas with coarser hair such as legs, have bumpiness that can last a few hours or rarely longer.

PDT usually causes redness and peeling of the skin. You are also very sensitive to sunlight and any bright light for a couple of days after the procedure. Most people should plan on staying inside at home for a few days, because even light through a car window may increase skin sensitivity and side effects.

Spider veins can be treated either by sclerotherapy, which involves injecting a solution into the vein to destroy the vein, or by using a laser to target the vein. For laser spider vein treatments, we use a color of light that the vein absorbs. This laser light causes the vein to heat up which destroys the vein. Sclerotherapy is often the best for larger veins while lasers are typically better for smaller veins. We exclusively use lasers, but we also refer to local sclerotherapy providers if we think that sclerotherapy would be a better option for your particular veins.

Spider vein removal often feels like a rubber band snap and also feels hot briefly. It is usually well tolerated when we use our Zimmer cooling device to cool the skin.

One treatment usually makes a big difference, although it is not uncommon for patients to schedule a second or third treatment for even more improvement. Sometimes patients return back for touch-ups in a year or two if they develop new veins.

After spider vein removal treatment, patients may experience temporary redness, bruising, or swelling in the treated area. These side effects typically subside within a few days to weeks. It’s important to follow post-treatment care instructions provided by your healthcare provider to promote healing and reduce the risk of complications.

Tattoo removal techniques include laser therapy, which delivers high-intensity light energy to fragment the ink particles, enabling the body’s immune system to gradually clear them away. Other methods like surgical excision and dermabrasion physically remove the tattooed skin layers.

Discomfort levels vary, but many patients think the procedure feels like a small amount of hot grease popping on the skin. It usually hurts a little more than getting the tattoo. Pain is usually adequately managed by using our Zimmer cooling device and sometimes using a cold compress for a few minutes first as well. The treatments are usually very quick which helps a lot too.

The number of sessions required for tattoo removal depends on several factors such as ink color, ink type, depth of ink, skin type and the method of tattoo application. Commonly, black tattoos can take 6 treatments spaced 6 weeks or longer between treatments. Red and purple ink often respond as well as black. Some colors such as greens, blues, yellows or oranges can take quite a few more treatments or may be impossible to remove completely. If someone just needs a tattoo lightened for a cover-up or a new tattoo, it often just takes a couple treatments to fade enough for the tattoo artist to cover it well without it being seen through the new tattoo

After a tattoo removal treatment, most patients experience scabbing over the tattoo. Some tattoos, particularly colored tattoos, can blister also. We recommend keeping the area moisturized with Vaseline or Aquaphor while healing. There is usually no pain during the healing process and most tattoos are healed in about a week. We advised keeping any healing tattoo out of lakes, oceans or hot tubs until well healed in about a week.