Petechia after Broad Band Light

Question

I'm in my mid-forties with Fitzpatrick 2 skin. I have lots of freckles and sun damage on my arms. I recently had broad band light to my forearms. Since it was my first treatment the esthetician used conservative settings. None of my pigment got darker, but I did get petechia on both arms. It wasn't a significant amount, but a few patches on each arm. Is this a concern for futures treatments that will be done at higher settings? I am not taking any blood thinning medications.

Rebecca Gelber, MD · Answer

Thanks for asking your question! First off, I would confirm that the IPL used was indeed a Sciton branded BBL. It is a better quality BBL with better cooling and many offices call their IPL a BBL. A true BBL will be better able to control to help you get a better result next time. You can check on Sciton.com to confirm that it is a registered, serviced system. It really does make a difference.

Sometimes when offices are trying to go safer, they use a filter which puts less heat in the upper layers of the skin (where most of the pigment is) to try to avoid a burn. This means more energy is focused a bit deeper (where small vessels lie) and can result in some petechia, especially if there are little red spots or broken capillaries in the area.

If it is an office with a true BBL, be sure to discuss your concerns with the office. Lasers are a bit like cars. You want a great car, but there are huge differences between users as well. In a FPII, it should be easy to help you get a great result with your pigment.

Petechia after Broad Band Light

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