Every laser has a target. The target of the laser in the example above is hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells. The laser imparts great energy to the hemoglobin, causing changes in its form, and ultimately causes the blood vessel to disappear. A different laser could target melanin, which is the tan- or brown-colored pigment found in skin. A laser that targets melanin would be useful for removing dark marks commonly called liver spots.
Pigmented Lesions
Superficial brown-pigmented lesions such as liver spots can be vastly improved or made to disappear in many cases. These lesions are often located on sun-exposed skin. The skin lesion may change somewhat in appearance immediately after laser surgery, but complete resolution generally follows two weeks later.
The same class of lasers that treat benign superficial pigmented lesions may also be appropriate to lighten or even completely remove tattoos. Professionally placed tattoos, which are generally more complex and contain several colors, tend to be more difficult to remove than tattoos placed by amateurs. In most cases, tattoo removal requires repeated treatments. Even cosmetically similar designs placed by different artists may exhibit varying difficulties for removal due to the chemical differences of the ink.
It is important to recognize that not all pigmented lesions can be improved with laser. Lesions felt to be suspicious by your dermatologist may require observation or removal for analysis under a microscope.
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