What Are the Effects of Sun Exposure 4 Weeks After CO2 Laser Treatment? Is Hypopigmentation Common?

The new fractionated c02 lasers are less likely ti produce hypopigmentation than the older modela. However the settings used and the depth of treatment play a role. Patients with color in their ski need to be pretreated for 4-6 weeks. Sun exposure after laser may in crease the risks of sun exposure in general.

Any injury, laser included, to the skin can result in over stimulation of the pigment cells deep in the skin resulting in skin darkening, or Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation. This is commonly seen in olive skinned, Asians and darker skinned individuals AND is worsened by ANY sun exposure. In many cases, we pre-treat people to prevent this from happening. In some cases, when CO2 laser are used deeply to remove wrinkles the pigment cells may be injured and result in permanent loss of... more