Do Gemini Laser Treatments Get Rid of Freckles?

Question

Hi, i am so happy to have stumbled onto this site, i cannot believe your generosity with answering so many questions..... amazing....

	my personal issues are freckles. i have had them on my face since i was little and absolutely hate them. i am currently 22 years old and finally worked up the courage to get them removed. i went to see a dermatologist and was recommended to book a session with the Gemini laser.

	i have tried researching this particular laser, but haven't been able to find any reviews on effectiveness in treating freckles ? please, are you able to recommend or give advice on this procedure..? much appreciated

John Bitner, MD · Answer

The pulsed-dye laser is an excellent laser for pigmentation problems.  However, I think that a simple and easy alternative for a young person with freckles as the main concern would be the IPL.  IPL is relatively painless, quick, no oozing or bleeding (zero downtime).  Your face is a little red right after treatment.  The freckles first look speckled, then get dark and peel off.  Again, no downtime and everything can be covered up with makeup.  It can be repeated, but each treatment will make an amazing difference.  It is important, especially for fair skinned people to be especially careful in the sun and always use sunscreen.

M. Christine Lee, MD · Answer

The Gemini laser is a dual wavelength laser:  a 532 nm KTP (green) laser and a 1064 nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG (infrared) laser.  It is the gold standard for treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions.  Pulsed-dye laser works well for vascular lesions (ie: blood vessels or anything red) but does not work well on pigmentation such as freckling.  This has to do with the absorption coefficient of 585 nm (yellow wavelength of pulsed-dye laser) which is not as well-absorbed by melanin as the 532 nm (green wavelength of the KTP laser in the Gemini).  The IPL does work well on pigmentation but does not have the pinpoint accuracy of a laser.  IPL is not a true laser, it is a broad-spectrum flashlamp light which is not as specific for its target (ie: pigment) and also has larger spot sizes (size of the handpiece that touches the skin) which make it not as optimal as a laser for treating smaller individual spots such as freckles.  I wrote a book for the lay person entitled:  "The Ultimate Guide for the Best Skin Ever: Lasers" in which I describe all the different laser and light devices and rank and grade each laser based on what they do best and explain the science and rationale behind what makes certain lasers work better than others.

Michael H. Swann, MD · Answer

Short answer:  The Gemini laser can indeed treat facial freckles.
Long answer:  There are a number of reasonable treatments to remove or fade freckles (ephileds), but the most important thing to know is that these can come back with sun exposure, so you will need to protect yourself from the sun with a good quality UVB/UVA blocking sunscreen daily after your treatment.  
The Gemini is an excellent laser.  When set in the 532nm KTP mode, this laser can be tuned to treat brown spots, red spots and improve overall skin tone and texture.  It is superior to IPL in that the therapeutic window (treatment effectiveness / side effect) is better because it is an actual laser and not a wide-freuency light source (such as intense pulsed light or IPL).
Although Gemini (KTP) is an excellent choice, you should know that although your darkest freckles will go away, your lighter freckles will remain. The laser works on color contrast and the freckles which are closest to your skin color will not be treated as much. I have found this leads to a lightening of the freckles without sacrificing the natural beauty of freckles.
If your desired result is to be without freckles, this is more of a chore and may take an additional laser. I use a Q-switched Alexandrite laser to further treat the lighter freckles in patients hoping to achieve a result that approaches completely removing the freckles. Still, these will likely return with sun exposure. That being said, I personally find light freckling natural and beautiful.
Another approach is to use a mild resufacing laser. You might want to look into the Pearl (erbium:glass) or a fractionated erbium "laser peel" like Sciton's microlaser peel. Good luck!

Do Gemini Laser Treatments Get Rid of Freckles?

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Do Gemini Laser Treatments Get Rid of Freckles?

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Everything you need to know about Laser Resurfacing

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.