pigmentation treatments

If you suffer from pigmentation problems and would like treatment, it is important to book in for a consultation with Dr Johnson or Emma the Clinic Nurse for an assessment.

There are so many different types of pigmentation and some can be treated more easily than others.

Birthmarks

Some birth marks are easy to treat others are more difficult. At Cheshire Lasers we are able to successfully treat vascular birthmarks such as port wine stains with our advanced IPL Lumina system.

Brown birth marks are much harder to treat, and do not always respond to treatment, an ND Yag laser would be used to treat this type of pigmentation. If the brown birth mark does respond and go, there is a 50% risk it will recur over a 2 year period.

Age spots and Freckles

Age spots most commonly present themselves on the face and hands, they appear over time and are a result of sun damage. Age spots, pigmentation caused by sun damage and freckles respond nicely to our advanced IPL Lumina system. Our IPL treatment is fantastic for spots and patches of pigment, if the response is poor we can use the ND Yag laser instead. Before starting treatment it is recommended that a lightening skin product from one of our skin care product ranges should be used, twice a day for 2 weeks before starting an IPL or Laser treatment.

We can also treat these lesions with lightening creams on their one but the results are not usually as good, unless you use the Obagi NuDerm system which gives fantastic results.

Some people prefer to treat their pigmentation with a peel, this is usually recommended by us for people with a large areas of pigmentation. At Cheshire lasers we use the Spot Peel or the ICP peel in this situation.

Severe sun damage, with some pigmentation, on the face, neck or décolletage area may require a 30% TCA peel. This is a one off medium depth peel where the skin will peel and flake for 7 – 14 days.

Melasma

Melasma presents as dark irregular patches on the face that develop over time. The dark patches are commonly found on the upper cheeks, nose, upper lip and forehead. Melasma is most common in women and is often triggered by pregnancy and or the contraceptive pill. Melasma gets worse when the skin is exposed to direct sunlight, especially over the summer months.

There are a number of treatments available at Cheshire Lasers to treat Melasma. The DermaCeutic Spot Peel is successful at treating the pigmentation however over time the pigment can come back. You can slow this down by wearing good sun protection all year round and a sun block in the Summer. The ICP peel can also be used with similar results.

The Obagi NuDerm system gives fantastic results with melasma, even after a few weeks use, the pigment usually looks so much better. You need to continue on the system for 18 weeks to avoid rebound pigmentation. After 18 weeks your skin usually looks great and it is at this stage you need to go on to a maintenance regime with the products to maintain results. If you suddenly stop the treatment the pigment can slowly come back. Occasionally stubborn Melasma may need a peel to complete the treatment on this system.

At Cheshire Lasers we do not like to use Intense Pulsed Light or an ND Yag Laser to treat Melasma as there is a higher risk of side effects and the response rate is poor.

Key Treatments