Will CO2 Laser Treatment Under Eyes Cause Loss of Pigment?

Hypopigmentation after laser therapy can be a permanent complication. The CO2 wavelength is especially prone due to thermal collateral damage. However, the CO2 wavelength also is very good at removing wrinkles and tightening the skin. There are some less aggressive alternatives such as an Erbium or fractionated CO2 lasers.

If you have ablative non-fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing there is a chance that you can develop delayed (one year after) long term lightening of pigment. This tends not to happen with ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser such Fraxel Repair.

Hypopigmentation or loss of pigment under the eyelids is something that is feared by many patients. We have all seen people walking around with lighter circles around the eyes or mouth from an old resurfacing treatment.  Most lasers these days are fractionated or ultrapulsed (meaning super fast) so the risk of hypopigmentation is extremely rare.  Talk with your physician and see what type of laser they offer

Any type of resurfacing (Laser, Chemical peel, or Dermabrasion) will cause a degree of hypo-pigmentation or loss of pigment to the skin. The way that I explain this to my patients is that this is a cause an effect issue. In order to have less wrinkles, you have to give up some pigment of your skin. The less wrinkles you want, the more pigment you sacrifice. The problem is not when you do your full face. The problem is when you only do segments. Doing segments makes it a lot harder to hide this differences as if you do your entire face. Hope this helps you understand.

Using any laser whether it is CO2 or erbium may cause changes in pigmentation especially if you only treat isolated areas. You may be better off treating the entire face.

This is an informed consent issue. There is a possibility that de pigmentation will occur after CO2 laser therapy. This should be explained to you prior to the treatment.

From MIAMI Happy 4th Dr. B