I've gotten the laser hair removal treatment on my bikini area on Friday (today is Sunday) with the IPL machine. I am a light-skinned Asian and I'm worried about permanent hyperpigmentation on my bikini area, as I found out later that Friday that I have developed about 4 brown/purplish, slightly raised splotches where the laser head had been. I have had this treatment done 3 times before and never experienced any burns. Should I be worried that these will be permanent or how should I treat them?
Answers (3)
From board-certified doctors and trusted medical professionals
With darker skin types (higher Fitzpatrick levels), one of the keys to successful treatment is being conservative with settings to prevent post-treatment skin discoloration. One of the ways to do this is to use a wider pulse width (one of the parameters on the laser that should be tailored...
Provided your skin is not too dark, IPL treatments work well for achieving 75-90% permanent hair reduction in the bikini area. Bikini hair tends to be thick, dark and fast growing making this area particularly well suited for treatment.
Dr. Joseph
Historically we said not to do any procedures while on accutane since we know that the skin doesn't heal as well while on accutane. That said, there is enough experience in the dermatology community to say that laser hair removal should be just fine during accutane, especially low doses like...
