I am an African American women. I received my 4th laser hair removal treatment on the bikini area approx. 2 months ago. The first 3 treatments progressed well. The technician used Altus Coolglide. There was little pain and no side effects or pigmentation. For the 4th treatment, the technician decided to use a brand new machine (Star Lux Intense Pulse Light) that was supposed to work even better on darker skin (even though the other machine worked fine). During the 4th treatment, the degree of pain was about the same as the other treatments. However, about 20 mins after the treatment, I started to feel a stinging sensation. When I arrrived home, I called the technician, described the sensation and was told to place ice on the area until the pain subsided. To make a long story short, the area blistered, peeled, and healed darker than my original skin tone. I was told that over a period of time the treated area will return to it’s regular skin tone. 2 months later… I have only started to notice a slight improvement with the usage of a skin lightening cream I started applying 3 weeks ago. The cream has 3% hydroduinone. I am still unhappy with the results. How long will it take for my skin color to return to normal? Should I continue using the skin lightening cream? Any suggestions to expedite the healing process? Please help!
It can take a while (several months). I had vein removal done on my legs in March (laser version) and I had some hyperpigmentation spots.
Most of the spots are now finally going away but I am guessing a few more months before they are totally gone (this could be sped up by using the hydroduinone they gave me, but I will just let it happen naturally.
I already answered your question on the other forum. you will get the exact same response here:
ugh. this is a typical case of IPL manufacturers providing wrong or misleading information to the clinics to sell their product that ends up hurting the customers. IPLs are NOT suitable for any darker skin types, especially African American skin. I’m appalled that it was used on you. Coolglide is a Yag and a Yag is the only type of machine that should be used on your skin, period.
I don’t know if it applies to your situation, but the effects on pigmentation has been studied.
There’s a good, non-baised study on pigment effects that I, once again, should have bookmarked on the net. It basically looked at hypo-pigmentation. That is, lightening caused by LHR. That’s actually by far the most questioned effect with laser, not really hyper-pigmentation. And actually, I think what you have isn’t true hyperpigmentation, so much as a burn effect. Pigment can be destroyed, but creating it is a different story. If anything, it’s more of just a pigment activation. Anyway, the summary of the study was that, yes, LHR does in some cases induce hypo-pigmentation, but it pretty much went away in several months. Not speedy, but it did return to normal.
I think that was an important study as this group needs all the factual evidence it can get. I’ll try to hunt it down.
Mantaray
The most important part of this person’s post is that she is African American and was treated with an IPL. She had no pigmentation issues with Coolglide Yag laser which is suitable for her skin.
I appreciate the responses to my post. I clearly understand that the IPL used for the 4th treatment caused the hyperpigmentation. Noted that I should have only been treated with a YAG Coolglide laser. I will make sure that IF I proceed with laser hair removal, I am treated with the correct laser.
I am really looking for more insight on how to treat the hyper-pigmentation. I really see no point in proceeding with LHR on the bikini area if I have to cover the area anyway (due to the embarrassing hyper-pigmentation). From what I can gather, I have to be patient and hope that it fades over time. Unfortunately, patience is not something I excel in. lol… So, I will plead again…If any additional info. on fading the pigmented area can be provided, I would love to read about it. Thanks!
Read on! You can use the search feature for more reading fun.
Dee
MP, I see the most important aspect of your post is the concern of pigment marks caused by any laser at all. And, if they’re permanent, and how long will they linger. You then seem questioning if you’ll proceed with LHR. And truthfully? My answer, unbiasedly, is don’t.
Go with electrolysis. The returns that a type I skin (pale) with dark hair person will see compared to what you might are in two different ballparks. If you have type IV skin or darker, laser is just doesn’t give you a return on your investment. They just can’t use the selective blasting power as they could on more pale skin. And you’re risking increased hair growth.
Go with electrolysis and you will get a direct yield from your money’s worth. Don’t play games with your skin. If you’re worried about dot-scabs that some electrolysis temporarily leaves, then request slow-thermolysis. It’ll do a good job with very little skin disturbance.
As for laser being better for coarse hair in the bikini area, don’t be swayed by that. Coarse hair allows for an Electrologist to use a bigger (#4 or #5) size needle that has more killing power with less unpleasant sensation, and allows positive insertion and contact with the papilla for a sure kill. Electrologists can move through the coarse bikini area like lightning with the easy insertions.
Mantaray
Mantaray, you’re once again not being impartial. This person was obviously happy with her results when using the proper Yag laser on her skin and had NO side effects with it. Why turn this around into how laser in general is not good for her when she was getting results with a proper treatment? You’re choosing to overlook the facts and are being unfair. It’s up to her whether to continue treatments WITH PROPER MACHINE once the pigmentation FROM IPL (not proper laser) clears up. And she already knows that there are no side effects with a Yag machine. She’s had 3 treatments with it.
Actually when it comes to pigmentation, laser hair removal can do a couple of things.
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It can stimulate pigment cells to increase pigment production leading to hyperpigmentation. This is the same effect as any injury that can occur to the skin to include electrolysis. So when you fall down and scrape your knee you can get hyperpigmentation. This is also more likely in people who have more natural pigment. So an african american is more likely to hyperpigment than a caucasian. How long does it last depends on a number of factors such as genetic and sun exposure.
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It can turn off pigment cells and destroy the melanosomes (pigment packets) in the skin leading to hypopigmentation. This is usually as a result thermal injury. In a bad burn (type III) where the pigment cells are completely destroyed they never come back. In laser hair removal which is a lesser injury (type I or II) it should be temporary though it can take a long time for the cells to recover. How quickly, again it depends.
And you can get both hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation in the same injury. Often on a blister you will get hypo in the middle and hyper around the edges.