Laser Treatment for Freckles, Age Spots and Other Marks

Blemishes in the top layers of skin, such as freckles and spider veins, can often be removed in one treatment.

Skin Blemishes a Laser Can Treat

With a laser, your doctor can now remove or lighten most freckles, spots, spider veins, and red birthmarks. A laser can also remove tattoos, warts, and some scars and moles. Blemishes in the top layers of skin, such as freckles and spider veins, can often be removed in one treatment. Other blemishes may require two or more treatments. Once a blemish is treated, it almost never comes back.

Your Experience

Laser treatment is quick. It is done in your doctor's office or at a surgery center in Detroit. You can most likely go home right afterward. To keep you comfortable, you may be given local anesthesia or light sedation before treatment. Or your doctor may numb the skin with ice or an anesthetic cream. Your doctor will give instructions for caring for your skin after treatment. Be sure to follow them carefully.

Freckles, Age Spots and Moles

A laser can quickly remove freckles, age spots, cafe au lait spots, and moles that are not deep or cancerous. After treatment, the area becomes dark and may form a crust. The crust falls off in about 10 to 14 days. This leaves a pink spot, which slowly fades to your normal skin color. You must wear sunscreen until the skin heals fully.

Warts

A laser removes warts and other skin-colored blemishes, layer by layer. This reduces the risk of scarring after treatment. Single warts can often be removed in one treatment. Clusters of warts may take more treatments. After treatment, the skin is pink until it fully heals. This takes a few weeks.

Spider Veins and Birthmarks

A laser is ideal for treating spider veins and birthmarks that contain blood vessels. Blood absorbs laser energy, causing the vessels to shrink and disappear. Spider veins often vanish in one treatment. Birthmarks are treated in small sections, so they take two or more treatments. The skin may appear red and bruised right after treatment. It fades to your normal skin color in a few weeks.

How a Laser Works

A laser is a beam of high-energy light that can be precisely controlled. It can remove veins and blemishes with little or no effect on surrounding skin. This reduces the risk of scarring. A laser also seals nerve endings and blood vessels so there is little pain or bleeding. Many kinds of lasers are used to remove skin blemishes. Your doctor will choose the one that's best to treat your skin problem.

Ask Questions First

Before you decide on laser treatment, be sure you understand what will be done, what you need to do before and after treatment, and what treatment will cost. Tell Dr. Masri of Detroit, MI if you use any medications. And ask about the risks of laser treatment. These are rare, but can include infection, bleeding, bruising, and scarring.