/assets/production/practices/85712525cbb13cb741126a3f58199392b5630985/images/2597410.jpg)
Laser Treatment for Hyperpigmentation services offered in Hamilton Square, Trenton, and Mercer County area, New Jersey
Spots that are darker than your normal skin tone are known as hyperpigmentation. They are caused on a cellular level by an overproduction of melanin, a pigment responsible for determining one’s skin and hair color. Reasons that melanin might overproduce (resulting in hyperpigmentation) include:
- Age spots which appear on skin that get frequent sun exposure, such as the backs of the arms, hands, shoulders, chest and face.
- Injury-related hyperpigmentation (or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) occurs where skin is healing from a lesion (such as acne) and leaves a darkened patch
- Melasma causes dark, discolored patches on the face and arms and often develops during pregnancy.
- Freckles
At Kessel Dermatology, servicing the Hamilton Square, Trenton, and Mercer County areas in New Jersey, we use the excel V+ laser’s clinically-proven wavelengths of light to treat hyperpigmentation. The targeted cells absorb the light, dry up and flake away revealing unpigmented skin. We are able to adjust this treatment to treat different skin tones, which makes this a very versatile and effective treatment for our patients. At your initial consultation, our providers will determine the number of treatment sessions necessary to clear the hyperpigmentation, depending on the size, location and color of the spots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Laser Treatment for Hyperpigmentation
Treatment for Brown Spots and Uneven Pigmentation
Hyperpigmentation occurs when areas of the skin produce or contain excess pigment, creating spots or patches that appear darker than the surrounding skin.
There are many different causes of hyperpigmentation, and they don't all respond to the same treatment. Before treating unwanted pigmentation, it is important to determine what is causing it and where the pigment is located within the skin.
At Kessel Dermatology, treatment may include the Excel V+™ laser by Cutera, chemical peels, medical-grade skincare, microneedling or a combination of approaches depending on the type of pigmentation present.
What Causes Hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation is a general term rather than a single diagnosis.
Common causes include:
- Cumulative sun exposure
- Sun spots and age spots
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation following acne, irritation, or injury
- Melasma
- Hormonal changes
- Certain medications or medical conditions
The cause of your pigmentation plays an important role in determining the appropriate treatment.
How Does Excel V+ Treat Pigmentation?
Excel V+ uses laser energy that can target pigment within appropriate brown spots and areas of discoloration.
The targeted pigment absorbs the laser energy and is heated and damaged. The body then gradually clears the treated pigment as the skin heals.
Treatment settings are selected according to the type of pigmentation, its depth, your skin type, and the area being treated.
What Types of Pigmentation Can Be Treated With Excel V+?
Excel V+ can be useful for treating certain discrete areas of unwanted pigmentation, particularly brown spots associated with cumulative sun exposure.
However, not every form of hyperpigmentation is best treated with a laser.
Diffuse pigmentation, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and melasma may require a different approach or combination of treatments.
This is why we evaluate the pigmentation before deciding which treatment to use rather than treating every brown area in the same way.
What About Melasma?
Melasma is a chronic pigmentary condition that commonly causes irregular brown or gray-brown patches on the face.
It behaves differently from an isolated sun spot and can be triggered or worsened by factors including sun exposure, heat, and hormonal changes.
For this reason, laser treatment is not automatically the best treatment for melasma and may worsen pigmentation in some patients.
Treatment may instead involve sun protection, topical skincare, chemical peels, microndeeling or other approaches depending on your skin.
Learn More About Chemical Peels
Learn More About Microneedling
What Happens to Pigmentation After Laser Treatment?
When an appropriate brown spot is treated with Excel V+, the area commonly becomes darker before it becomes lighter.
The treated pigment may rise toward the surface and develop superficial crusting or flaking before gradually shedding.
Do not pick, scrub, or attempt to remove the treated pigment prematurely. Allow the skin to heal naturally.
Sun protection is particularly important following treatment.
Why Should Pigmented Spots Be Evaluated Before Treatment?
Not every brown spot is hyperpigmentation or sun damage.
Pigmented skin lesions can have many causes, and some should not be treated cosmetically without first determining what they are.
Any lesion that is new, changing, irregular, symptomatic, or otherwise concerning should be medically evaluated before laser treatment.
Because Kessel Dermatology is a dermatology practice, questionable pigmented lesions can be evaluated before proceeding with cosmetic treatment.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
The number of treatments depends on the type, depth, and extent of the pigmentation being treated.
Some individual brown spots may respond significantly to a single treatment, while other types of pigmentation require multiple treatments or a combination of therapies.
Your treatment plan will be determined after your skin has been evaluated.
What Should I Expect After Treatment?
Depending on the treatment performed, temporary effects may include:
- Redness
- Mild swelling
- Darkening of treated pigmentation
- Superficial crusting or flaking
- Tenderness
These changes gradually resolve as the skin heals.
Specific aftercare instructions will be provided based on your treatment.
How Can I Prevent Hyperpigmentation From Returning?
Treatment can improve existing pigmentation, but it cannot prevent new pigmentation from developing.
Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen is an essential part of treating and preventing hyperpigmentation.
Depending on the cause of your pigmentation, medical-grade skincare or prescription topical treatments may also be recommended to help maintain your results.
How Much Does Hyperpigmentation Treatment Cost?
The cost depends on the type and extent of pigmentation, the treatment selected, and the number of sessions required.
Your treatment options and associated costs will be discussed after your skin has been evaluated.
Which Hyperpigmentation Treatment Is Right for You?
The most important step in treating hyperpigmentation is determining why the pigmentation is there in the first place.
An isolated sun spot, post-inflammatory pigmentation, and melasma may all look brown, but they do not necessarily require the same treatment.
Schedule a consultation at Kessel Dermatology to determine the cause of your pigmentation and whether Excel V+, a chemical peel, skincare, or another treatment approach is appropriate for you.
Learn More About Excel V+