WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF LASER SURGERY?

1) Pain. Many people feel some discomfort during the treatment. This ranges from mild to moderate, but fortunately is of short duration. A local anesthetic may be used to block pain during treatment. Most adults and older children can tolerate the discomfort with no anesthesia. Younger children may need intravenous sedation.

2) Healing Wound. There may be a crust, blister, or superficial wound that requires care. When these occur, they tend to heal in 5-10 days.

3) Pigmentation Changes. The treated area may heal with an increased pigmentation (hyperpigmentation). This occurs most often in darker pigmented skin and following exposure of the area to the sun. Some patients have a predisposition to this type of reaction and may notice it with minor cuts or acne. It is advised to protect the treated area from the sun for 3 months following the treatment to minimize the chance of hyperpigmentation. In some people hyperpigmentation occurs even if the area was protected from sun exposure. Hyperpigmentation usually fades away in 3-6 months; rarely, however, the pigment change is permanent.
In addition, a few patients may notice a decrease in skin color (hypopigmentation) in the treated area. As with hyperpigmentation, hypopigmented spots usually repigment in 3-6 months, but the pigmentation change may be permanent.

4) Swelling and or Redness. Immediately after the laser surgery, there may be swelling and redness of the skin, especially when the cheek or nose has been treated. This is a temporary condition and not harmful in itself. This usually subsides within 24-48 hours. Ice may be applied to help the swelling.

5) Fragile Skin. The area treated may become fragile and the area should not be rubbed since this could cause tearing of the skin. Makeup should not be applied to the area while it is fragile (usually 2-5 days). Makeup should not be applied if there is any crusting.

6) Persistence of Lesion. Some vascular lesions may respond only partially or not at all to the treatment. There is no guarantee of results obtainable with this therapy.

7) Scarring. There is a very small chance of scarring including hypertrophic scars, which are enlarged scars, and very rarely keloid scars, which are abnormal, heavy, raised scar formations. Scarring is a very rare occurrence but is a possibility whenever there is disruption of the skin’s surface. Other forms of scarring include skin texture changes or indentations. To minimize the chances of scarring, it is important that you follow the postoperative instructions.

8) IF WE USE THE PULSED DYE LASER: The treated area will look purple or bruised right after the procedure. This color will deepen over the next few days after laser treatment. It will remain purple/bruised for about 7-14 days after the procedure. Some people find this very unsightly especially if on the face.