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Pigment Changes
Pigment Changes
Hyperpigmentation and Hypopigmentation occur when the body’s production of melanin is affected after a laser treatment.
Hyperpigmentation is when the body overproduces melanin in reaction to the laser treatment, so the skin in the treated area becomes darker.
Hyperpigmentation tends to result if the tattoo following laser removal treatment has been exposed to sun without the application of high block out sunscreen such as SPF50. Good sunscreen and sun protection practices with tattoo removal are therefore very important.
Hypopigmentation occurs when the melanin is depleted by the laser treatment causing the skin to appear lighter.
Hypopigmentation is more common with darker skin types, however, with good laser protocols, this can be prevented or reduced.
Gentle sun exposure after time following complete removal will generally re-pigment the skin.
Hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation are generally temporary and resolve naturally with time. Some clients with darker skin are best treated with greater time in between each visit.
It is better to treat these skin types conservatively, using lower machine settings over a slightly longer period to minimise any possible change to pigmentation.