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Thu May 31, 2007 9:02 pm |
I just wanted to share with all of you my experience on getting my first IPL treatment. I'm asian with pale yellow skin and went in to ask about removing moles on my face. After speaking with the specialist, she recommended that I do a patch test on another mole from somewhere else on the body.
Before I tell you about the process, I had gone to another derm before and even booked an appointment but cancelled last minute because something about her "experience" really ticked me off. In short, her attitude was that I didn't have to get rid of moles on my face and didn't even bother explaining in detail what this specialist explained to me. It was almost like she couldn't be bothered with a newbie. But I did gather that she uses the Alexandrite Laser and that I would need to go in for 1 or 2 treatments.
Anyway, this specialist was very serious and explained everything in detail. She said that the mole will turn a lot darker, and it would be darker because the pigmented cells would die or be "burnt" and eventually there would be a scab. When the scab peels off, the mole would be gone and that I should never rub the scab off myself or there would be a scar. She used the Vasculight laser, just a brand name for one type of pulsed light laser. She put some gel on my arm and hit my arm where my mole was at 40J intensity 3 times with the laser. I totally didn't think it was the "rubber band against skin" feeling. More like an accidental run-in with the sharp end of a paper clip. I totally can't imagine how that would feel on my face...it was bareable though, but I'm scared now. Lol.
Anyway, since I just got it done this evening,so it looks like a burn spot with a hole in the middle. Looking at it now, I totally don't want to see that on my face. I didn't expect to see a hole in the middle!
Now I'm wondering if maybe the intensity was too high? I think she used 575 filter or something, not too sure. She said it will take 2 weeks to heal.
Does anyone have experience with the Alexandrite laser? Does it also make the spot look darker almost burnt with a hole in the middle? I'd like to hear some people's experiences with these laser treatments for moles, broken caps, etc.and which laser you used. I know some people do some treatment on their entire face to treat brown spots? How is that done? I'll be updating the progress of how my arm heals periodically! |
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Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:53 am |
Kareberry* are you talking about an actual mole or a beauty mark?
If you are dealing with moles or any markings on your skin I hope you are seeing a Dermatologist and not just a licensed technician.
Moles should only be removed by Drs and for the most part unless they are suspicious looking they are left alone.
Please be careful! |
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Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:49 am |
I should have clarified...I'm talking about "beauty marks" or dark brown pigments on the surface of the skin. Nothing raised, they're all flat. I do have one on the face that is raised and I had that since I was a kid but when my derm saw it she assured me it couldn't be anything serious. It's perfectly round and hasn't changed much other than getting bigger as I grew too.
The area I had my treatment done was the same, just a flat deep brown spot. I know normally people who have actually raised moles get them removed, but I have many dark brown spots all over my face and body and recently a few of them grew next to my nose which makes it look like someone took a sharpie and dotted my face while sleeping.
Has anyone else also had their beauty marks removed with laser? I know the specialist told me a little of what will happen with the IPL, but I also wanted to know if the same thing happens with an alexandrite laser or something similar? |
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Sat Jun 02, 2007 4:35 am |
I've had an IPL treatment recently. The most important thing after IPL is you need to really be-careful with UV light/direct sunlight. Make sure when you go out you have SPF30+ sunscreen on at all times. But in my case, it has taken more than 2 weeks to heal. If you'd like i can recommend some products. |
_________________ using obagi now.. I had combination skin, oily on T zone and sensitive on cheek area.. easy to get breakout on chin and jaw line.. |
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Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:39 am |
yaling111 wrote: |
I've had an IPL treatment recently. The most important thing after IPL is you need to really be-careful with UV light/direct sunlight. Make sure when you go out you have SPF30+ sunscreen on at all times. But in my case, it has taken more than 2 weeks to heal. If you'd like i can recommend some products. |
Hi Yaling, could you tell me where you get your IPL, which city do you live in? I am looking a recomendation in Vancouver area. Thanks. |
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Sat Jun 02, 2007 2:52 pm |
The laser treatment you had for beauty mark removal and IPL (intensive pulse light) are quite different. IPL is not something you do to one particular spot. The whole laser part they touch your face with is about four inches long and the whole treatment is for your face.
First and foremost, as someone else on this thread said, go to a DOCTOR. Either a dermatologist or a PLASTIC SURGEON. COmplications don't happen often, but in case they do, a doctor is prepared to deal with them whereas a beauty clinic will not have any idea what to do and will probably just try to cover it up and instead of seeking proper medical attention.
Laser treatment for beauty mark removal is, YEAH, painful. It's not excruciating and I think it was worth it, but it hurt. I have had all these procedures done before so if you wanna know, read on.
When I was a teenager, so had zits so I have some left over colourations. Nothing raised, just very slight colourations but many of them. So the first time I had treatment done with a dermatologist friend, I had laser for 50 spots on my face. When I finished, my WHOLE face was covered in round circular scabs. Some seeped with bloody liquid. It was scary. Like scar face. But the scabs went away in a week and it was TOTALLY worth it. My face was one even colour. But about eight spots came back so I went back to the derm and he did the same spots over. Those were stubborn spots and even after six treatments they returned so I gave up. Laser treatment is a one-off procedure. You got back only if it doesn't work the first time around.
About four years later, I met up with a plastic surgeon friend. I have the occasional freckle, those eight or nine spots that didn't go away with the laser and sometimes, my skin has a more yellowish tinge so I wanted to try IPL. In Asia, people either go one way or the other. Either you want to be snow white or you wanna have a perma-tan. Anyway, most professionals will make you sign up a for COURSE of treatment for IPL because it doesn't show any effect with less than at least three treatments and they don't want you to go around saying that you did it once and you can't see any effect.
So over 18 weeks, I did six. It's most effective once every three to four weeks. I am pretty white, so the plastic surgeon said I needed more to see an effect. This REALLY DOES NOT hurt if done properly. First your face is covered with a thick layer of ice cold gel and then he beams your face with that 4 inch laser head. The laser head touches your face and there is slight shock sensation but no burning sensation. The shock sensation is like static but even less. The laser head is very big, so for once face, one would need about twenty strokes.
Now I follow up with a treatment once every six weeks or two months. After IPL, very small and light freckles go away and overall, your skin is brighter and less dull and the skin feels more supple. You kinda look more dewy. But you can't get rid of beauty marks with this.
Later on, this same plastic surgeon explained to me the difference in wave lengths between the different lasers and the eight stubborn beauty marks I talked about earlier was removed with a laser with a longer wave length which was supposed to penetrate deeper. It got rid of another four but there are still other stubborn ones there.
Hope this helps. |
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Sat Jun 02, 2007 5:58 pm |
Ive had both laser and IPL on a small beauty mark on my face done.
my first time was like ur trial laser, it felt like a sharp needle poked deep down into my skin. after the procedure, i can see a big hole with a tiny tiny black dot in the center. But unfortunately, the beauty spot grew out again, but maybe a little smaller.
second time i did a full face IPL, that same beauty spot faded away in 2 days, then again, it came back again in few weeks.
i did asked the dermatologist who did the IPL for me, he said the beauty spot can be remove with multiple laser prcedure, which i havent get around to do that.
so be prepare that once is probably not enough. |
_________________ Combination acne-prone skin |
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Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:22 pm |
I had a laser treatment 12 years ago when I was still a child. The mole was right under my right eye and it's quite noticeable. My mom took me the a doctor for the laser treatment. But the doctor didn't inform me of any precautions for the wound. So I did not bother skipping my swimming classes.....I think it's the chemical in the pool water which prevented the wound from healing. Even until now, I still have a hole under my eye..... |
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Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:48 am |
Sakana, is the treatment you did on the whole face with IPL called a photofacial? I wanted to do this for the freckles on my face too, but because my derm did not have IPL technology, only laser, she refused to do this for me. She also said I wasn't a good candidate but she never said why. I didn't question her judgment but given that she said I wasn't a good candidate, I gave up on the idea.
The specialist did use the IPL for spot treatment on my arm. I'm pretty sure Vasculight is not a laser machine. I just wanted to know, when you had laser treatment done on those spots, where those spots really deep brown spots? I had considered doing this in HK thinking they'd know what to do with asian skin, but with all those scary stories about specialist/doctors not knowing what they were doing, and having no referrals I didn't want to take that risk.
The reason why I didn't get the laser treatment done with the derm is because she's charging $75 per mole for 4+ spots and she didn't suggest I do a patch test. The IPL specialist charged me $10 for a patch test and $35 for each mole. So I did it on my arm first just to see the effect. I'm leaning towards going back to the derm for the ones on my face, but I just needed to know if the effect would be the same as what happened to my arm. I wouldn't want dark redish pits all over my face if it doesn't work out. I don't think I could have done all 50 spots like you did in one shot, I'd be emotionally shocked. |
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Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:23 am |
Haha! Those 50 spots were quite shocking. I had to do it while my husband was on business trip!
Yeah, I think photofacial is another term for IPL. Just remember you need to do it for at least three times before you see any major effect. I did mine in Taiwan but my friend in Hong Kong said you could do it at Queen Mary Hospital. She said five years ago, it was about $3,500 for a pop and they want you to do it for at least three times.
Laser is different. Yeah I did it to bigger deeper brown spots. But I also did it to bigger, very light colour discolourations on my face, hence the 50 spots. |
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Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:35 pm |
Kareberry* wrote: |
I should have clarified...I'm talking about "beauty marks" or dark brown pigments on the surface of the skin. Nothing raised, they're all flat. I do have one on the face that is raised and I had that since I was a kid but when my derm saw it she assured me it couldn't be anything serious. It's perfectly round and hasn't changed much other than getting bigger as I grew too.
The area I had my treatment done was the same, just a flat deep brown spot. I know normally people who have actually raised moles get them removed, but I have many dark brown spots all over my face and body and recently a few of them grew next to my nose which makes it look like someone took a sharpie and dotted my face while sleeping.
Has anyone else also had their beauty marks removed with laser? I know the specialist told me a little of what will happen with the IPL, but I also wanted to know if the same thing happens with an alexandrite laser or something similar? |
Had two large brown beauty marks (and many tiny red startup beauty marks) zapped off. Used Super CP Serum and emu oil, tried not to pick the scabs. I'm thrilled they're gone! |
_________________ Blond, Swedish/Cherokee, normal/dry skin, a sucker for products, gizmos, and treatments that are "age-defying." Just hit the big 4-0 |
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Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:36 am |
What is this Super CP serum I keep hearing about? Is that the same as supercop although, I have no clue what that is either! |
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Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:33 am |
Has anyone experienced branding or squaring of the chest after an ipl. This has happened to someone I know and she is totally freaked out.Hopefully it won't last to long |
_________________ ginderella13 |
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Mon Jun 18, 2007 7:35 pm |
bumping. |
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Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:48 am |
I just went in again to get 2 more beauty marks removed with IPL. The first mark has sort of healed but it left pinkish brown hyperpigmentation. I don't mind it being pinkish brown because it's so much better than the black mark it was before. Plus I'm sure a little exfoliation will remove it eventually.
But I was complaining to the specialist about there being a pit last time and maybe the intensity was too high, so I think she used a weaker intensity on the 2 marks I wanted to remove and now they aren't pitted or anything. It looks like nothing happened to them at all except there is a pinkish tint around the mark and it raised a little.
I asked her about doing a photofacial too, but she said a photofacial will not get rid of the dark brown pigment on my skin because the intensity isn't enough to break up the built up melanin. I asked because I went to get a third opinion from another laser clinic and she said I was the perfect candidate for a photofacial. Has anyone heard about this before, how IPL is not good on dark brown spots? |
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Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:24 am |
Hi Kareberry,
You could ask to have the indivigual spot masked off with a plastic mask which isolates the spot allowing the operator to turn up the energy.Good luck."Bumping" can you be more specific? Msaries
thanks,
Ginderella |
_________________ ginderella13 |
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