Hyperpigmentation Looks Worse After Photofacial

I have now had 11 photofacial's and my face looks worse than it ever did. The dark spots have just gotten darker and the last time I went in, I actually receieved a 2nd degree burn from the treatment.

My question is, will this treatment really and truly remove my hyperpigmentation? Or is it going to continue to make it worse?

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hyperpigmentation

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by r-c-thompson in California

Doctor Answers (5)
Community Comments (0)

Stop having photofacials!

Dear R C, If a treatment is not helping you and is harming you, please do yourself a favor and don't do it again. Your body is smarter than your doctor and it is trying to tell you something. Generally, if you get a burn while having a photofacial, this is hands down a great reason to find another doctor. By the way, were you treated by a physician or a non-physician? Most states require that the treatments be performed by a physician or a registered nurse under direct supervision of a... more

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

8 reviews

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon

Definitely no more Photofacial treatments

We would definitely not recommend having any more treatments. Whenever we hear a story like this, we immediately start thinking one thing...Melasma. Many patients mistakenly think that their Melasma is sun damage or hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is a very general term and can be related to multiple different conditions, but what is consistent about Melasma is that it gets worse with IPL treatments for almost all patients. We suggest that you stop IPL treatments, get a diagnosis of your more

Harold J. Kaplan, MD

4 reviews

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.celibre.com

11 is too much

When you do something ten times and you do not get the desired result, eleven is not the magic number. einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. your doctor, if you were actually examined, failed to make the right diagnosis and worse yet stubbornly failed to see the results were actually negative. do yourself a favor change practitioners, stop IPL and get the right diagnosis before any further treatment. in addition to melasma,... more

Using IPL and photofacials for hyperpigmentation

This is a wonderful question that addresses the limitations of phototherapy. If you have underlying excitation of pigment cells, you will need to topically reduce melanocyte stimulation simultaneously with the IPL. I would recommend the Melaquin AM and PM creams before treatment.

Photofacial

I would encourage you to stop these treatments. I recommend that you see a board certified dermatologist or a board certified plastic surgeon to get a diagnosis and proper evaluation.