Laser treatments

What it is and when it makes sense

Medical laser is not a single device: it is a family of technologies, each with its own wavelength and target in the skin — pigment, vessels, tissue water, deep collagen. Choosing the right laser for the right problem is the most important part of the treatment.

It makes sense when there is something no other technique resolves as well: melanic spots, scars, acne marks, spider veins, uneven texture, enlarged pores, tattoos, chronic folliculitis or photoaged skin with accumulated damage. In many of these cases, the right laser achieves in a few sessions what other paths cannot achieve in a year.

It does not make sense as an indiscriminate "star treatment". A poorly-indicated laser not only fails to work: it can worsen the problem — hypopigmentation, reactive hyperpigmentation, scarring from mismanagement. Indication comes first, the device second.

My approach

Before switching on a laser I make a dermatological diagnosis: what you have, your phototype, what you have used before, whether pigment is active, whether there has been recent sun exposure. That assessment decides which technology is correct, at what parameters and over how many sessions. Without it, applying laser is firing energy blind.

I work with the main medical technologies — fractional CO₂, Er:YAG, picosecond, long-pulse — because each does what the others cannot. The choice responds to medical judgement, not habit. And sessions are planned respecting cutaneous recovery times: forcing them is the fastest way to generate complications.

What the consultation looks like

The first visit is diagnostic. I study your skin, evaluate the problem and explain which technology fits, how many sessions are reasonable and what recovery to expect. Leaving the consultation with clear information is worth more than starting the same day without it.

Before each session I apply topical anaesthesia when appropriate and protect sensitive areas. Duration depends on the treated area — from 15 minutes for a small zone up to 60 minutes for a full face. Afterwards I prescribe a specific care protocol based on the laser used; following it is part of the result.

What to expect and how long results last

Recovery depends on the technology. Ablative lasers such as fractional CO₂ require 5–10 days of re-epithelisation — with redness, mild oozing and crusting — in exchange for a deep, lasting result. Non-ablative lasers like picosecond have hours-to-2-days downtime with a gentler result over several sessions.

The result on pigment, marks or scars appears progressively: 4 to 8 weeks per session. On skin quality and collagen, clinical improvement consolidates at 3–6 months. How long results last depends on aftercare — especially photoprotection, without which any treatment on pigment reverses.

When I do not recommend laser

I do not treat with laser if there has been recent sun exposure or if you are about to expose yourself: it drastically raises the risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Nor during pregnancy or breastfeeding, on skin with undiagnosed active lesions, or where there is a history of keloids that has not been assessed first.

Certain higher phototypes with certain technologies are also a poor match. In those cases, I either switch technology or propose an alternative path — a medical peel, a dermatological topical treatment, waiting. The goal is not to apply the laser: it is to solve the problem with the lowest possible iatrogenic risk.

Frequently asked questions