What should you know about laser therapy for dark spots?

A clinician first checks whether the mark is melasma, a sun spot, pigment left after inflammation, or another condition. Different lasers deliver energy to pigment or to the surrounding skin, and a picosecond approach is one option your clinician may discuss. Treatment may darken the spot temporarily before the body clears the pigment. Melasma can return or worsen when the skin is irritated or exposed to light, so treating a visible patch without identifying its cause can disappoint.

Darker skin tones need careful energy selection because pigment changes can occur after treatment. A consultation should cover your history of tanning, recent irritation, medicines, and any tendency to develop dark marks after spots or procedures.

Ask for a diagnosis before choosing a device. Your clinician may recommend a test area, a series of appointments, or a non-laser option such as a chemical peel or skin brightening treatment. Avoid tanning and follow the clinic’s instructions about skincare before treatment. Afterward, use gentle products, protect the treated area from sunlight, and do not pick peeling or crusted skin. Report any product that causes strong burning so the plan can be adjusted.

Arrange a medical assessment before cosmetic treatment if a spot is new, changing in colour or shape, bleeding, crusting, painful, or persistently itchy. Seek prompt advice for spreading redness, increasing swelling, pus, blistering, or fever after a procedure. A clinician should also review widespread or rapidly appearing patches rather than assuming they are ordinary pigmentation.

Which diagnosis best explains my dark spots? Which laser and settings suit my skin tone? Could treatment worsen pigmentation? What should I pause before treatment, and how will we manage sun protection afterward? Would another option be more appropriate?