Ablative Erbium Yag Laser
What can this laser be used for?
It is used to remove & improve the following:
Moles
Freckles
Solar lentigines
Scars (acne scars, hypertrophic scars)
Rhinophyma in rosacea
Keloids
A variety of epidermal and dermal lesions (seborrhoeic keratosis, syringomas, skin tags, xanthelasmas)
Is anesthesia used in this procedure?
Topical anesthesia or numbing gel/cream is used.
What is the treated area like after procedure? Should there be any postoperative wound care?
The treated area looks like a fresh wound. It is crucial that the laser-treated area is kept moist by the application of ointment/moisturizer prescribed by the dermatologist to promote reepithelialization.
Treated area after one week of procedure starts crusting & looks pinkish.
Treated area after 1-2 months starts gaining pigmentation & skin color starts coming back.to normal.
Could there be any complications?
- Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (where the color that starts coming back in the laser-treated area is not blending with the normal skin color and is a bit darker). It is a temporary complication that can be taken care of by using dermatologist-prescribed whitening creams or a few sessions of Q switch Nd Yag laser (pigment breaking laser) or Intense Pulsed Light.
- Persistent erythema or redness, where the treated area remains pink and does not blend well with the surrounding skin color for some time.
- Moles can come back and can be removed in another laser session
How many sessions are required to get rid of moles?
Mostly just one session.
What is the minimum time interval between 2 laser sessions?
About 2 to 4 months.
Is there any spot testing before treating moles with ablative laser?
One or two moles are treated in one sitting and the response of the skin is monitored after a period of 1-3 months. Depending on the skin response, the next treatment addressing the whole face is planned out accordingly.
Spot testing is recommended in very dark and wheatish skin complexions.