Will Laser Resurfacing Make PIH Worse from Prior Laser Resurfacing?

Post laser hyperpigmentation is a common problem following laser resurfacing and is not necessarily related to the "burn" that you experienced. That said, the greater the injury the greater the degree of PIH. Laser resurfacing is just that, in that is smooths out the skin and has the additional benefit of evening out darker skin tones. It is not specifically designed to treat browns, though, but more to smooth out wrinkles. There are different opinions in the industry regarding whether to pre-treat the skin with hydroquinone or not before laser resurfacing. Not pre-treating risks increasing the possibility of PIH. The good news is that it typically responds to topicals and bleaching creams.I would continue to use your topicals and "bleaching cream" and give it a good 3 to 6 months before trying another light source therapy if at all. It takes time for these to work, especially if you are young or have any degree of melasma or of darker skin ethnicity.  

I would be very wary of using laser resurfacing to treat PIH (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation). I love laser resurfacing and probably do as much or more then anyone in the US. At our office we have a lot of experience treating difficult skin problems and our first line treatment for PIH is always chemicals/skin care. The best thing is to make an appointment at a place that really deals with these issues. 

Treating PIH can be a challenging and slow process. It is difficult to say exactly what I would recommend without seeing your skin. In general, I treat my PIH patients with a few different treatments, Laser Resurfacing being the very last treatment I would recommend. First, I would recommend starting a topical treatment regimen in order to prep your skin. This would include retinols, glycolics, sunscreen, lightening treatment (such as a product with Hydroquinone.), and moisturizer. Please see the link below for additional information about a scientific approach to skin care. After you have been on the topicals for a month, I would recommend a series of light chemical peels, advancing to stronger chemical peels. Lastly, if your skin has tolerated the chemical peels and topicals well, and there is improvement in your hyperpigmentation, I would possibly consider a series of Intense Pulse Light (IPL) treatments.