Permanent? Sciton© Profile™ Laser BBL for Brown Spots but the Doc Singed off my 1/2 Eyebrow?

Question

Hi, about 1-1/2 weeks ago, I had IPL laser to target some brown spots on my face. The doctor accidentally zapped my left eyebrow so half is now gone, and the other half is singed. I haven't seen any hair regrowth yet. Is this permanent?

Steve Laverson, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi Bonnie,

	 

	The IPL targets pigment, unfortunately it doesn't differentiate between pigment in the skin or pigment in hair follicles. When we target the pigment in the hair follicle, we call it Laser Hair Reduction. The answer is yes, it may be permanent for a few of the hairs that are in the anagen phase. For the hairs not in the anagen phase, they will regrow, but may take up to 6 weeks (give or take) to return. To help "speed up" the re-growth process; you can try applying the prescription product, Latisse to your brow line. 

	 

	It's a very unfortunate accident, but in time will get better. Best of luck!

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

IPL is a light treatment that targets pigment or color. The machine can't tell a difference in pigment from a brown spot or a hair follicle. This is why many machines are used for both laser hair reduction and skin rejuvenation. Almost all machines require the use of a clear conductive gel, so there is a barrier between the skin and the laser tip. But, without proper pressure, or over more boney shaped areas, like a forehead, sometimes the tip can slide in the gel and hit something unwanted, like an eyebrow. I've seen it happen once in my practice in over 130,000 IPL treatments. Some of the hairs may be gone permanently, but not too many. This is why multiple treatments of laser hair removal are done - not all hairs are in a treatable phase at one time. Which in your case, is a good thing! It will take a bit of time, up to maybe six months to see regrowth of your eyebrow. You can try to speed it up by buying and applying Latisse to this area too. It is very effective for eyebrows, just like for eyelashes.

Permanent? Sciton© Profile™ Laser BBL for Brown Spots but the Doc Singed off my 1/2 Eyebrow?

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Permanent? Sciton© Profile™ Laser BBL for Brown Spots but the Doc Singed off my 1/2 Eyebrow?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about IPL

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.