With laser and light technology development happening at such a fast pace, Dr. Hirsch urges all patients to make certain that they work with a board-certified dermatologist experienced in laser therapy to ensure proper safety with treatment. Never be afraid to ask your physician about their training and qualifications, or what their experience is with a particular procedure or device. Since any type of procedure can carry potential side effects, it is crucial to entrust your face and body only to qualified, experienced hands.
Pigmented lesions are caused by a proliferation of melanocytes (the cells that produce melanin) or an increased deposition of melanin in the dermis and/or epidermis. Most of us have some pigmented lesions in one form or another. They include brown age and sun spots (lentigines), freckles, moles (nevi) or birthmarks. The number of treatment sessions depends on the size, location, depth and color of your specific lesion. Age and sun spots generally do well with one or two treatments, while darker or deeper birthmarks may require additional treatments, however as many as six to eight treatment sessions may be required for some lesions. Treatments are usually 4 to 8 weeks apart to allow your body to remove the maximum amount of pigment cells. You will continue to see a lightening of your lesion after each treatment as your body disposes of the pigment cells.