Can IPL Be Caused Due to Cooling Gas from Candela Laser?

3 weeks ago i had a laser removal treatment on my bikini area. This seem to burn my skin and has now caused IPL. I have been told by the company that this burn was not caused by the laser but by the cooling gas used in the Candela laser machine. Is this correct? Should I stop any further laser treatments until the pigmentation fades? Appreciate your advice, Jessica

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2 Doctor Answers | Asked by JRomero

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Sounds like PIH, not IPL

Sounds like post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). There is a delicate balance between cryogen spray which cools the skin, and laser light which heats the skin. Typically the cryogen spray will overcool the skin with the assumption that the laser will heat it back to normal temperature. If the two are not aligned correctly the result is either a freezing burn, or a hot laser burn. This typically shows up as small arcs of hyperpigmentation that look like... more

Do you mean PIH?

I think you mean you have PIH - post inflammatory hyperpigmentation - or a darkening of the treated area? IPL is intense pulsed light, it's a light source used to perform treatments; it's not an outcome from the treatments themselves. I would suggest you return to the office that treated you for an evaluation. Usually PIH resolves over time, and since the bikini area shouldn't be affected by sunlight, it should fade faster. You can get a prescription for hydroquinone to help... more