Laser and IPL Technology
For the treatment of pigment spots by means of laser therapy, red light of a certain wavelength is used, which forms a very high-energy laser beam. Before starting treatment, the skin must be examined to determine whether the spots are suitable for therapy. In addition, the number and size of the pigment spots can be used to estimate how long the session will last.
The range is between 5 minutes and half an hour. The laser beam is gentle on the surrounding tissue because it only attacks the over-pigmented cells in the upper layer of skin. During the therapy you will feel a pinching sensation, which can be contained by an anaesthetic cream in the case of very pain-sensitive persons or when treating large areas of skin.
The laser treatment causes the skin to die off, which is why a scab is initially left on the lasered areas. However, the scab heals quickly and leaves behind very sensitive skin, which must be protected from direct sunlight for the next few weeks. The cost of a laser treatment is between 75 and 200€ per session.
Alternatively, the pigmentation spots can be removed using Intense-Pulsed-Light technology (IPL technology). The difference to laser therapy is the type of light.The laser uses light in one wavelength whereas IPL technology uses different wavelengths. Since the radiation is only converted into heat in pigment rich cells of the skin, the therapy is very targeted and spares the surrounding tissue.
The destroyed skin is rejected. Initially, some scabs form and the skin turns dark, but this quickly returns to normal. A session usually lasts between 10-15 minutes and costs from 150€.
The number of sessions required depends on the size and number of pigmentation spots. Even after this procedure it should be avoided to go into the sun and to put the skin under a lot of stress (sports, sauna). The effect of the IPL technology becomes visible after about 4 months and lasts up to several years.