Hypopigmentation After Facial Laser

[user12160]

I had 2 sessions of laser hair removal in my cheekbones.
in the start of Nov 18’
and in the start of Dec 18’
In the end of December I start to notice that I have white patches on each side.
I had the same texture of those patches much or less before the laser, but now you can really notice them.
After those 2 sessions I Haven’t had any burns or something that could lead to future hypopigmentation. maybe just some redness that passed within day or two.
and it the main strange thing in my whole story, I repeat - I haven’t had any burns !
and for 2 weeks after that it still looked ok.
in all the stories that I read there was burn with scab that fall before the hypopigmentation appeared but that not my case ! maybe that dermatologist wrong and it something else ?
On the middle of January I went to my dermatologist and he told me that it definitely Hypopigmentation and not a tinea versicolor as I hope so.
Since then I Don’t think that there any improvement.
and another thing it that the laser worsen my hair grow and now I have hairs even under my eye where it was only peach fuzz and it look terrible, I barely cant see my self in the mirror.
somehow the white patches are not that noticeable and if I don’t tell to people about it they wouldn’t notice something different.(or at least not telling me about it).
but I’m afraid that in the sun the rest of the face would get tanned it will be more obvious.
and now I have some questions that my dermatologist didn’t know to answer me.

1. It could become more noticeable over time or now it the maximum ?

2. It could pass alone by himself ?

3. I could exposure this area to the sun ?

4. there any treatment to that or just the time ?

5. could I wax the area with hair or at least pluck for there the hair with tweezer ?

6. If i had those patches before it could lead them to be more noticeable and if yes, it permanent or it could back to the starting position?
   also I read that when you expose hypopigmentation to the sun it need to burn but in the past when I had those unnoticeable patches they never burn or look strange to me.

7. If I will do electrolysis in the hypopigmented area and near it, it could worsen my situation or decrease the chance of the skin to repigment ?

*** Also I can see small small hair root in where the patches but it not really grow hair right now, but I can see tiny hair root there, it means something ?
** I added picture so you can see the difference between how it was before the laser and how it now ?
there chance that those hypopogmented area are from the past and because of the sun exposure they were not noticeable and after I avoid sun because of the laser they suddenly appeared ?

[Andrea]

Welcome, and I’m sorry you had an unwanted complication.

Laser can disrupt melanocytes in your skin. These structures produce the pigment in our skin. Usually the result is temporary, but it can take quite some time to resolve.

Another laser client in Israel has been having a similar issue. Dermatologists usually recommend one of three options:

• LLLT (low-level light therapy), has been shown to improve hypopigmentation in some patients experiencing issues like yours.
• Red-light therapy is available in some tanning salons.
• Natural sunlight.
  Any remedies should be discussed with a dermatologist.

As I understand it, in Israel the practitioner may pay for mitigation of your side effects.

Hypopigmentation after laser treatment burns (photo)

I am 7 month after my laser treatment that burned my legs skin. This is a difference that occurred in those months - you can see this on images i added today. I am still can not expose the legs to sun, and there are white marks. At the same time, the signs are less noticeable. My upper leg now have full pigment recovery, but my legs under the knee are still looks terrible, but less contrast noticed, so i have some hope that may be it’s not permanent. [1] [2] [3] [080319] [261218]