Freckle Removal
First, before having any laser freckle removal performed, have your dermatologist determine if any of your spots are precancerous or cancerous. Unusual spots may indicate rare but serious disorders as well as skin cancer, so check with a dermatologist first. If your dermatologist determines the spots to be freckles and not harmful, laser treatment can proceed.
The best thing about freckles is that they are highly treatable with lasers. The treatment usually ends with a highly satisfactory result.
How it Works.
The 532nm Nd:YAG Q-Switched laser, is passed over the area to be treated and the melanin pigment which makes up the freckles is removed by the laser light. Green laser light is particularly effective on brown spots and freckles.
The reason green light works so well at removing brown spots is because melanin pigment is designed to block short wavelengths of light, namely ultraviolet light which is shorter than any visible colour of light. We have ultraviolet light, the next longer wavelength is purple then blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and then infrared which is invisible. So shorter wavelengths of light are more strongly picked up by melanin, thus you can use very low energies of green light to treat brown spots.
Do I have to have a test patch?
Yes, test patching and consultation is mandatory by law. It gives us the chance to asses the birthmark. One of the technicians will quote you a price and go through a consent form with you, then if all is good (no photo-sensitive conditions, immune system problems etc.) we will perform a test patch. This consists of 3 laser shots on the birthmark. We will then book you in for 2 weeks later to carry out a full treatment.
Does it hurt?
The amount of pain felt will depend on the amount of treatment required and your own pain threshold. Some clients would describe it as no more than uncomfortable, where others will describe it as an elastic band flicked against the skin. The truth is that you will not know how painful you will find treatment until you try it! We do give advice on pain relief if you need it.
How long does a treatment take?
This depends on the amount of freckles; a small area might take 5 minutes, where a large area could take 30mins or more.
I understand the process and want to come in for treatment.
If you’re ready for removal, just pop in to see us where we can get one of the technicians to talk to you and book you in for a test patch/consultation. Or alternately call or message us to book a test patch/consultation. We hope to see you soon.
