After your treatment
The night of
Cleansing
If you need to cleanse the treated area tonight, use SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser with lukewarm water.
Use your fingertips very gently. No rubbing, scrubbing, cleansing devices or face washers.
Pat the skin dry with a clean, soft towel. Do not rub the treated area.
If the area is clean and you haven't worn makeup or been exposed to anything that needs removing, there is no need to over-cleanse it. Keep things simple.
Cooling the skin
If the treated area feels warm or uncomfortable, you can use a cool, damp towel for a few minutes at a time.
Do not place ice directly onto the skin and do not use frozen packs directly over the treated area.
What to apply
Keep your skincare very simple tonight.
Apply the gentle moisturiser recommended by us to keep the skin comfortable and support the skin barrier.
Tonight is not the time for active skincare.
Avoid tonight
Please avoid:
- Retinol or retinoids
- Vitamin C or other strong active serums
- AHA/BHA or exfoliating acids
- Scrubs or exfoliating cleansers
- Peels
- Exfoliating brushes or devices
- Strong pigment-correcting products
- Perfumed or potentially irritating skincare
- Makeup over the treated area if the skin is hot, irritated or sensitive
Also avoid hot showers, baths, saunas, steam rooms and strenuous exercise tonight. Anything that creates significant heat, sweating or friction should be avoided while your skin is settling.
What you may see tonight
Depending on whether we have treated you with Pico, Nd:YAG or KTP 532, and depending on the type and depth of pigmentation, you may notice darkening of the pigment, small darker dots, pinpoint areas or a slightly frosted appearance immediately following treatment.
The pigment may look darker or more pronounced before it begins to clear. Don't panic. We have deliberately targeted the pigment, and your skin now needs time to process the treatment response.
Some treatments may also produce small, pinpoint areas of crusting as the treated pigment moves through the healing process.
Do not pick, scratch, rub, peel or attempt to remove any darkened pigment or crusted areas. Allow your skin to naturally progress through its healing process.
Picking at the skin can prolong healing and increase the risk of unwanted marks.
Before bed
Keep the area clean, moisturised and untouched (use ASEA if directed to do so).
Use ASEA only on closed, unbroken skin.
If your skin is comfortable, leave it alone and allow it to recover overnight.
Tomorrow morning, your priorities are gentle skincare and SPF 50+. Your skin is more vulnerable to UV exposure following laser treatment, so consistent sun protection is essential.
If anything looks or feels significantly different from what we have explained to you, please contact us rather than trying to treat the area yourself.
First 48 hours
For the first 48 hours, your skin needs calm, gentle care and protection. This is not the time to push your skincare. Allow the skin to recover and let the treatment do its work.
Morning
Gently cleanse with Dermaviduals Gentle Cream Cleanser and lukewarm water.
Use your fingertips only and be very gentle around the treated areas. Pat the skin dry. Do not rub.
Apply Dermaviduals Base Cream to keep the skin comfortable, hydrated and supported while your skin settles.
Apply products as directed.
Evening
Gently cleanse again with Dermaviduals Gentle Cream Cleanser and lukewarm water.
Follow with Dermaviduals Base Cream and serums as directed.
Keep your routine simple. Your skin does not need additional active products during these first 48 hours.
What to avoid for the first 48 hours
Please avoid heat, excessive sweating and friction. This means no saunas, steam rooms, hot baths, very hot showers or strenuous exercise.
Do not use exfoliants, scrubs, retinol, acids, peels or other active skincare unless we have specifically instructed you to do so.
Most importantly, do not pick, scratch, rub or peel the treated areas, even if the pigment becomes darker or you notice small areas of dryness or crusting.
Sun protection
Strict sun protection is essential following your laser treatment. Avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible and protect the treated area with clothing, a hat and your recommended SPF 50+.
For these first 48 hours, think cleanse, hydrate, protect and leave it alone.
Day 3 to 7
By day 3, your skin should be starting to settle. You may notice darkening of the treated pigmentation, dryness, small areas of crusting or light flaking. Depending on the depth and type of pigmentation treated, some areas may look more noticeable before they begin to clear.
This is the stage where I want you to stay consistent and resist the temptation to help the pigment come off. Let your skin do the work naturally.
Morning
Gently cleanse with Dermaviduals Gentle Cream Cleanser and lukewarm water.
Use your fingertips and be particularly gentle over any areas that are dry, crusted or flaking. Pat dry. Never rub.
Apply Dermaviduals Base Cream to keep the skin comfortable and support the skin barrier.
Finish with your SPF 50+ and reapply throughout the day when you are exposed to sunlight. Avoid direct sun wherever possible and use a hat or other physical protection when outdoors.
Evening
Cleanse gently with Dermaviduals Gentle Cream Cleanser.
Follow with Dermaviduals Base Cream and serums as directed.
Keep your routine simple. If the skin is still sensitive, dry or healing, don't add extra active products just because the skin appears to be improving.
What you may notice
You may also see small dark dots, dry areas or light crusting, particularly where individual pigment spots have been treated. These areas will gradually lift and shed as the skin heals.
Depending on the depth of treatment, you may also notice some areas taking longer to clear than others. This is expected.
Still no exfoliation
Do not exfoliate during days 3 to 7.
Even if your skin looks almost normal, give it the full 7 days before you begin introducing exfoliation or stronger actives.
If the skin feels warm or sensitive
You can continue to use a cool, damp towel for a few minutes at a time for comfort.
By the end of the first week
Your skin should be progressively settling, although the exact recovery time depends on which laser was used, the type and severity of pigmentation and how deeply we needed to treat it.
The most important thing is that you don't rush the process.
Cleanse gently. Use Dermaviduals Base Cream and ASEA as directed. Protect with SPF 50+. Leave the treated pigment alone.
Your skin will continue to improve as the treated pigment is naturally cleared.
Week 2 to 4
By week 2, most of the surface healing should be well underway. You may still notice areas of pigmentation gradually fading, particularly if we have treated deeper or more established pigment.
This is the time to maintain your skin barrier, protect your skin from UV exposure and allow the treatment to continue working beneath the surface.
Morning
Gently cleanse with Dermaviduals Gentle Cream Cleanser and lukewarm water.
Apply Dermaviduals Base Cream to keep the skin hydrated and comfortable.
Continue with products as directed.
Apply your SPF 50+ every morning, generously and consistently. Reapply when you're outdoors or exposed to sunlight.
Evening
Cleanse with Dermaviduals Gentle Cream Cleanser.
Apply Dermaviduals Base Cream and ASEA as directed.
Continue to keep your routine gentle and supportive rather than adding lots of active products. Your skin is still responding to the treatment.
What you may notice
Don't be concerned if the result isn't completely visible yet. Pigment clearance is progressive, and different areas of the skin can respond at different rates.
If we treated more established or deeper pigmentation, some areas may take longer to resolve. This is particularly true when we have deliberately treated at a deeper level.
Can I exfoliate now?
Once you have passed the first 7 days and your skin is completely healed, with no crusting, open areas, significant sensitivity or active flaking, gentle exfoliation can be reintroduced if we have recommended it for you.
Do not exfoliate simply because you can. If your skin is still dry, sensitive or healing, continue with Dermaviduals Gentle Cream Cleanser, Dermaviduals Base Cream and ASEA and give it more time.
The same applies to retinol and other stronger active ingredients. We will advise you when your skin is ready to return to them.
Sun protection remains essential
Sun protection is particularly important at this stage. Even though your skin may look healed on the surface, it is still recovering underneath, and UV exposure can encourage pigmentation to return.
Remember, particularly here in Australia, your skin is continually exposed to UV. Even excellent skincare cannot completely prevent new pigmentation from developing, which is why professional maintenance and consistent home care are both important.
By weeks 3 to 4
Your skin should be looking and feeling increasingly normal, and the treated pigmentation should continue to improve.
We will assess your response at your follow-up and determine whether the skin needs further treatment or whether we are ready to move into a maintenance phase.
Don't chase the result at home. Let the treatment work, keep the skin healthy, and protect the progress we have made.
Long term
Pigment control comes first
I may use vitamin C, vitamin A and ingredients such as Dermaviduals Whitening Concentrate or SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense. The goal is not simply less pigmentation. It's clear, glowing, healthy, vibrant, even-looking skin.
I introduce these actives at the right stage for your skin, particularly after laser or other treatments, because timing matters.
Option 1, Dermaviduals
Dermaviduals is my preferred approach when the priority is barrier health, hydration, lipid replenishment and maintaining the skin's natural structure.
Barrier support:
- DMS Base Cream Classic
- DMS Base Cream High Classic
- DMS Base Cream High Classic Plus
CM Glucan Complex is one of my particular favourites around treatments.
Option 2, SkinCeuticals
If we choose SkinCeuticals, I generally take a more active, antioxidant approach.
We can also gradually introduce glycolic acid, AHAs, BHAs or other actives when your skin is ready.
Please tell me about anything your doctor has prescribed for you, including any skin treatments, before we start.
The important part
You do not need everything.
I would much rather give you the right products that you actually use consistently than a bathroom full of expensive skincare you're not sure how to use.
Your routine will change as your skin changes. That's where I come in. I keep looking at your skin and adjusting your skincare as you progress.
If you're running low, simply text me and I can prepare your order and post it straight to you.
With active skincare, authenticity, storage and provenance matter.
And one final non-negotiable: SPF 50+ every day. It is one of the most important things you can do to protect the investment we're making in your skin.
What is normal, and what is not?
Laser pigmentation treatments can create some changes that look more dramatic than clients expect. Some of these changes are a normal and intended part of the treatment response.
These things are usually normal
- Warmth or mild sensitivity: The treated area may feel warm, tender or slightly sensitive immediately after treatment. This should gradually settle.
- Mild redness: Some redness or pinkness can occur following treatment and should progressively reduce.
- Pigment becoming darker: Treated pigmentation can become noticeably darker, more defined or almost look as though it has been "drawn in". This can be a normal response as the targeted pigment reacts to the laser.
- Small dark dots or pinpoint areas: Depending on the laser used and the type of pigment treated, you may notice tiny dark spots or areas of pinpoint crusting. These can be part of the normal healing process.
- Dryness and flaking: The treated areas may become dry and lightly flake as the skin naturally clears the treated pigment.
- Some areas taking longer than others: Pigmentation is not always uniform. Deeper or more established areas can take longer to clear and may respond differently from lighter pigment.
- The pigment looking worse before it looks better: This is one of the most common things clients panic about. Don't judge the final result during the first few days. The skin needs time to process the treatment.
Often, we can also see lines of demarcation following treatment. This is something I find myself explaining quite often, because there's no need to panic if you notice them. They can occur as the treated pigmentation clears and they are addressed at your subsequent treatment session.
What is not normal
Please contact us if you experience:
- Severe or increasing pain rather than mild tenderness or sensitivity.
- Significant swelling that is increasing rather than settling post two days.
- Blistering, open or weeping skin or areas that appear significantly damaged.
- Severe or rapidly increasing redness or heat, particularly if it continues to worsen rather than settle.
- Increasing pain accompanied by swelling, warmth, discharge or spreading redness, which may indicate infection.
- Unusual white, grey or markedly changed areas of skin that concern you.
Most importantly
Do not pick, scratch, peel or manually remove any darkened pigment, flaking or crusting. Let your skin naturally progress through the healing process.
And remember, darker pigment does not automatically mean something has gone wrong. In many cases, it is exactly the response we are looking for.
If you are unsure about something you are seeing, contact us and send us a photograph if possible. We would always rather check than have you worry at home.
What signs mean I should call you or see a doctor?
Anytime you want. But if you need a reason, please read below.
Please contact us immediately if you experience:
- Severe, worsening or persistent pain
- Blistering or significant skin lifting
- Open, broken or weeping skin
- Significant swelling that is increasing
- Severe or rapidly worsening redness or heat
- Increasing pain, swelling, warmth or discharge
Every treatment carries some risk. I go through the risks and the recovery with you at your consultation before we begin.
If you cannot reach me and you are worried, see your GP or go to your nearest emergency department. In an emergency, call 000.
Anything else
Laser pigmentation removal can sometimes be quite confronting in the beginning. Depending on the depth and type of pigmentation we are treating, the area can become significantly darker before it starts to clear. I know it can look a little scary when you first see it, but this can be a normal part of the treatment response.
Please trust the process. I use equipment and carefully selected settings that I know well, and I tailor the treatment to your skin and the pigmentation we are treating. Deeper pigmentation treatments can take up to two weeks before you really start to see the pigment clearing, and on areas such as the hands, chest and occasionally the face, the full process can take several weeks, sometimes close to a month.
I want to see how your skin is progressing so I can guide you properly through each stage.
And if something worries you, please contact me straight away.
Trust the process, follow your aftercare and keep me informed. We'll get through it together.