Over a Year Ago I Was Burned by IPL Laser It Left a White Scar on my Neck?

Question

The scar is about 1 inch to an inch and a half. It looks like a knife sliced me, I was told that I wouldn't burn from IPL. I signed a release form and can't do anything to the laser technician who preformed it.

Vivek Bansal, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. It sounds like the laser took the pigment out of your skin and it hasn't returned.  Unfortunately, all procedures involve some risk.  The neck is a very difficult area to treat, and it is very sensitive to energy.  It can burn in one area, and be fine in another.  If there is only pigment loss, then you can allow a year or two to see if the pigment will naturally return.  If not, then some have had success with "needling" to the area to stimulate pigment production and a return to the area.  We use a similar technique called dry tattooing with a 30ga needle to stimulate melanocyte migration, and pigment deposited into the area.  It usually improves to some extent.  Perhaps not 100%, but it gets better.  Do not tattoo it skin color, as that is a disaster to remove, and doesn't match your skin color all year.  I hope this helps.

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

What you have left behind is a hypopigmented area - an area that has lost pigmentation due to an IPL burn. I'm not sure what you did post-burn to treat the area, but any time you get a burn of any kind, hypopigmentation can occur. It is unfortunate, but it does happen. There isn't a way to re-pigment the skin other than trying permanent cosmetics or make-up. Sometimes evening out the skin around it with additional IPL - something most people won't try after something like this - can help. But you need to make sure you see a very experienced office with a doctor who is overseeing your treatments.

Over a Year Ago I Was Burned by IPL Laser It Left a White Scar on my Neck?

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Over a Year Ago I Was Burned by IPL Laser It Left a White Scar on my Neck?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about IPL

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