Hyperpigmentation 2 years after CO2 laser - is it reasonable to ask for a refund? (photos)

Question

At this point, I've given my face two years to heel. The Doctor who did the CO2 resurfacing kept telling me that he expected these lines to fade into the rest of the skin tone. Is it reasonable to ask for a refund? I've had to spend a lot of money trying to repair this, and it's yet to mellow out.

Brian K. Machida, MD, FACS · Answer

Your hyperpigmentation is very unusual for your skin type.  In the absence of any previous history of laser causing this problem in the past, which you mentioned to the doctor before the procedure, this is not typical and does not imply a surgical error.  When you say you spend a lot of money to correct this, does this mean you did chemical peels to take away the pigment, or did you try a different laser to diminish the spots?  At any rate, I'm sorry to say that although it's up to your doctor, a refund is not warranted because the result was likely not due to operator error but your body's healing response. It's unfortunate that you have to deal with this.

Hyperpigmentation 2 years after CO2 laser - is it reasonable to ask for a refund? (photos)

Answers (1)