IPL , Q-Switched Nd:Yag & Q-Switched KTP Lasers

Pigmentation & tattoos : Benign pigmented lesions are present on the skin as brown or dark spots either acquired any time during the life or as  birthmarks. They contain especially high concentrations of melanin, that gives skin its color or enlarged melanocytes, that produce this pigment. An excess of pigment in the skin, commonly due to congenital factors, sun exposure or aging is responsible for the benign pigmented lesions and makes them markedly darker than the surrounding normal tissue.

Pigmented lesions vary widely in size, shape and depth, and can be either raised or flat. They are usually a cosmetic rather than a medical concern. People usually want them removed because they are quite obvious, unattractive or reflect the signs of aging.

Congenital Benign Pigmented Lesions or Birth Marks :

• Lentigens, Freckles, Moles : Scattered brown or black flat spots on face or any other parts of body.
• Café au lait macules : Coffee in milk colored patches
• Becker’s Nevus : Large dark patches with dark thick hair, becoming prominent during adulthood
• Nevus of Ota & Ito : Bluish or slate colored patches on face or shoulders. May also be present on the sclera of eyes.

Benign Pigmented Lesions due to Sun Damage or Aging: Blotchy pigmentation on face, chest or dorsal surface of handsMottled pigmentation, depigmentation and telangiactasia known as poikiloderma

Dark circles around eyes

Melasma : Brown patches on blush areas of face and nose of some females occurring at the time they reach puberty, getting worse with age and some others may get either during pregnancy or menopause causing much embarrassment to the affected individual. It worsens on excessive exposure to sunlight.

Post – Inflammatory Hyperpigmented patches occurring due to irritation on the skin or allergic reactions.

Tattoos of various pigments can be had on any part of the body. Their popularity seems to be increasing. However, yesterday’s fashion statement can become today’s embarrassing eyesore, compelling a person to get it removed. Now, youngsters seeking employment with hospitality industries need to be free of all such visible tattoos. These tattoos can be removed by Q-switched Nd: Yag & KTPs lasers.

Traditional Treatments and Limitations

• Bleaching creams and other topical agents : Most common method for benign pigmented lesions. They do not actually remove the spots, but attempt to bleach or fade the lesions to a color approximating that of the surrounding skin. They can sometimes lighten or darken the skin surrounding the spots or causing irritation.
• Chemical peeling : A chemical solution is applied to the skin in a controlled manner to peel off the discolored layers, resulting in fresh skin with an even color. For superficial spots, this method has often proven effective.
• Dermabrasion : This technique uses  sand paper or a special instrument to abrade the upper layers of the skin and smooth out irregularities on the surface. It can be somewhat painful and may produce substantial redness, some bleeding and occasional scarring.
• Surgical removal : Attempts have been made in the past to remove benign pigmented lesions and even tattoos surgically. However, these procedures are invasive and often result naturally in scarring, sometimes, raised called hypertrophic scarring and the loss of natural pigment with a cosmetically poor appearance.
• Cryosurgery : This involves freezing the spots or skin lesions with liquid nitrogen While most experts regard this as more effective than other methods in certain cases, it still comes with the threat of pigment loss, uneven skin coloring, and thinner skin tissue on the treated site than the surrounding tissue, called atrophy.

IPL & Q-switched Nd :Yag & KTP lasers

Theseare the most modern and most effective high-tech tools in the arsenals of a dermatologist for the removal of benign pigmented lesions and tattoos.  They are simple, painless,  non-invasive affordable, safe and approved by FDA-USA for the treatment of all types of skin, especially of Asians & blacks. The procedure is safe, simple and can be performed by the doctor in his clinic without anaesthesia or complications or side-effects. It require few minutes, thus it is truly a “lunch-break” office procedure