Ipl laser is a popular treatment for post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), which is a condition that results from inflammation. The inflammation can come from acne, sun damage, or other factors. The PIH itself looks like dark spots or discoloration on the skin.
The main goal of the treatment is to decrease the appearance of those dark spots without damaging the surrounding healthy skin. It uses light energy to do this by targeting melanin in the skin and breaking it down into smaller particles that are easier for your body to eliminate naturally.
IPL Laser for Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
The top four hyperpigmentation treatments are chemical peels, IPL, laser and pigmentation creams such as hydroquinone. Treatment is best for excess pigmentation, depending on what is causing the excess pigment and often involves combination therapy. For example, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and melasma are treated with chemical peels and a skin whitening cream. In contrast, skin discolouration from sun exposure or hereditary causes is treated with IPL and laser.
What is Hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation is the excess production of melanin, causing skin discolouration and dark spots on the skin. The most popular hyperpigmentation treatments are pigmentation creams followed by peels, then laser and IPL.
Types of Hyperpigmentation
Examples of skin pigmentation include age spots, liver spots, melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and dark spots on the skin from sun damage. Skin discolouration from the sun consists of freckles, age spots and liver spots. Melasma is also caused in part by the sun.
Chemical Peel for Hyperpigmentation Treatment
Chemical peels assist in removing excess pigment by removing old damaged surface skin. In addition, peels exfoliate excess melanin and stimulate new layers of healthy skin. Jessner peels, TCA peels or Vitamin A peels are our preferred peels for hyperpigmentation treatment. A series of peels are required and are commonly combined with skin whitening creams.
IPL to get rid of Skin Discolouration
IPL (intense pulsed light treatment) or photofacials are excellent choice to reduce most skin discoloration caused by sun damage. It targets red from capillaries and brown from age spots and liver spots in one treatment. Not only reducing dark spots on the skin but also restoring an evener skin tone. IPL cannot be used on darker skin types. IPL is unsuitable for treating post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Laser Treatment for Skin Discolouration
There are several effective laser treatments to remove excess dark spots on the skin. There are specific lasers that target pigment, which provide a quick, targeted reduction in skin discolouration. Freckles & birthmarks are excellent candidates. Multiple treatments may be required to reduce skin discolouration. Laser resurfacing with C02 is a more in-depth laser treatment with a longer recovery. However, CO2 laser resurfacing can also treat fine lines wrinkles, and other skin concerns simultaneously. The type of laser will depend on you your skin type and diagnosis. For example, laser treatment for melasma requires specialised low heat lasers to avoid rebound in the pigmentation.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is a specific type of skin coloration. It occurs after trauma to the skin in people with darker skin types. The injury can come from a burn, sunburn, chemical burn, acne and other skin injections. Anything that heats the skin, such as laser and IPL, should be avoided in this pigment type. Instead, the areas should be treated with hydroquinone cream or other skin whitening treatments.
Pigmentation Cream to Reduce Dark Spots on Skin
Lastly, a range of skin lightening creams can be used alone or in combination for hyperpigmentation treatment. The best cream for pigmentation is undoubtedly hydroquinone. However, it is often used in conjunction with other pigmentation creams. In addition, it works exceptionally well for post-inflammatory conditions such as acne and melasma. The treatment combinations can include many lotions, including vitamin B, and B, C, arbutin, kojic acid, Symwhite.
Laser Treatment for Keratosis Pilaris on Face
Importance Keratosis pilaris (KP) is a common skin disorder of follicular prominence and erythema that typically affects the proximal extremities, can be disfiguring, and is often resistant to treatment. Shorter-wavelength vascular lasers have been used to reduce the associated erythema but not the textural irregularity.
Objective To determine whether the longer-wavelength 810-nm diode laser may be effective for treatment of KP, particularly the associated skin roughness/bumpiness and textural irregularity.
Design, Setting, and Participants From March 1 to October 1, 2011, we did a split-body, rater-blinded, parallel-group, balanced (1:1), placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial at an academic medical center in a city’s dermatology outpatient practice. We included all patients diagnosed as having KP on both arms and Fitzpatrick skin types I through III. Of the 26 patients who underwent screening, 23 met our enrollment criteria. Of these, 18 patients completed the study, 3 were lost to or unavailable for follow-up, and 2 withdrew owing to inflammatory hyperpigmentation after the laser treatment.
Interventions Patients were randomized to receive laser treatment on the right or left arm. Each patient received treatment with the 810-nm pulsed diode laser to the arm randomized to be the treatment site. Treatments were repeated twice, for a total of 3 treatment visits spaced 4 to 5 weeks apart.
Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was the difference in disease severity score, including redness and roughness/bumpiness, with each graded on a scale of 0 (least severe) to 3 (most severe), between the treated and control sites. Two blinded dermatologists rated the sites at 12 weeks after the initial visit.
Results The median redness score reported at follow-up by the two blinded raters for the treatment and control sides was 2.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 1-2; P =.11). The median roughness/bumpiness score was 1.0 (IQR, 1-2) for the treatment sides and 2.0 (IQR, 1-2) for the control sides, a difference of 1 (P = .004). The median overall score combining erythema and roughness/bumpiness was 3.0 (IQR, 2-4) for the treatment sides and 4.0 (IQR, 3-5) for the control sides, a difference of 1 (P = .005).
Conclusions and Relevance Three treatments with the 810-nm diode laser may induce significant improvements in skin texture and roughness/bumpiness in KP patients with Fitzpatrick skin types I through III, but baseline erythema is not improved. Complete treatment of erythema and texture in KP may require diode laser treatment combined with other laser or medical modalities that address redness.
Best Laser Treatment for Keratosis Pilaris
The skin is the largest organ of the body, so it’s no surprise that skin imperfections, blemishes, marks and lesions can happen. Many skin conditions are not harmful to your health, but can be a nuisance, unsightly or even embarrassing. Keratosis Pilaris is one such condition, and treating Keratosis Pilaris is simple.
It’s very common and completely harmless but if you suffer from it, it can be something of a less than welcome part of your life, due to its sometimes, unattractive appearance. If you have small pimples on the skin that look like permanent goose bumps on areas of the body such as the back of your arms, legs, bottom and even the back, face, eyebrows and scalp, which sometimes get itchy or red, you may have Keratosis Pilaris.
The condition occurs when there is a buildup of a substance called Keratin, a natural protein, which in fact is the main component of the hair as well as healthy skin. This, excess Keratin blocks the openings of the hair follicles, which can cause small red or white bumps to appear. Keratosis Pilaris also takes the name of “chicken skin” as the skin takes on this appearance. So, no wonder that many people who experience it would like to reduce or even eradicate the symptoms.
Laser Treatment for Hyperpigmentation Before And After
Fortunately, at Skin Perfection London, we offer a choice of non-surgical solutions for treating Keratosis Pilaris, painlessly, safely and effectively, from the comfort of our clinic, which is based in the heart of London, between Oxford Street, Harley Street and Bond Street. Treatments can be used alone or combined, for a holistic approach to reducing the appearance of chicken skin.
Laser hair removal is a superb way of treating Keratosis Pilaris at its source. It’s safe, virtually painless and can be permanent! It works by emitting short pulses of light into the hair follicle, causing it to stop growing hair and to close. This implies that the keratin can no longer block it, and the condition can significantly improve. The treatment may take up to 9 sessions for optimum results, but it can be a long-term solution to this troublesome condition and far better than having to shave, wax or epilate the hair, which can be extremely painful and can exacerbate the symptoms. Laser hair removal is suitable for all skin types and you could see up to 95% permanent reduction in hair growth, so it’s a win-win!
Medical microdermabrasion could be another option. It works by resurfacing the skin and cleaning blocked and congested pores and it offers very little downtime or discomfort. At Skin Perfection London, we use the Derma Genesis medical microdermabrasion system, which utilizes tiny medical-grade aluminium oxide crystals, that are swept across the skin by a hand-held device. The crystals are then gently sucked back up, bringing with them dirt, debris and dead surface skin cells. This reveals a smoother, clearer and healthier complexion, less prone to becoming congested. Results can be seen after a course of several sessions and your skin expert will explain the treatment programme, along with expected results, at a no-obligation consultation prior to treatment.
Although a harmless condition, Keratosis Pilaris doesn’t have to be endured and at Skin Perfection London, we make it our mission to offer you the most effective, innovative and high-tech device-led treatments to restore smooth, healthy and sexy looking skin, all-year-round.