Freckles can be simple flat brownish discolorations initiated at an early age by sun exposure or they can be brought about by repeated sun damage to the skin. While freckles are harmless and require no medical intervention there are many who wish to have them removed for various reasons. Laser freckle removal is the most consistent treatment to take care of this problem.
Lasers work with different wavelengths of light to target discolorations within the skin. Some lasers will ablate the entire skin surface, initiating a healing process to stimulate new skin growth. This stimulation will produce smoother skin with even tone and pigmentation. Ablative laser treatments have significant recovery time. Fractional lasers will partially ablate the skin, making a pattern in the skin of intact tissue. The tissue that is left alone initiates faster healing after this thermal injury. The results are reduced or even eliminated freckling, smoother more even skin. Often a week of recovery time is required for the area to heal.
Non-ablative lasers provide effective treatments with limited downtime. These lasers utilize their wavelengths of light to selectively target melanin in the skin. The melanin is heated and destroyed. The treated area may discolor to a gray, red or white, bringing with it the pigment. A few days to a week later the area sloughs off, leaving more even toned skin, less the freckles. IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments work in a similar way. IPL’s are not technically a laser as they use a broad spectrum of light wavelengths to treat the skin. Both types of procedures will leave the surrounding skin intact following treatment. Several treatments may be required to achieve the desired results.
A consultation with a dermatologist or skin care specialist will be able to determine which laser treatment is right for your freckle removal. |
