What should you know about Nd:YAG laser for freckles?

Freckles are small areas of increased pigment that often become more visible with sunlight. An Nd:YAG pulse can be absorbed by pigment and may make a treated freckle temporarily darker before it fades as the skin clears the treated material. Not every brown mark is a freckle. A lentigo, melasma, post-inflammatory mark, or mole may need a different approach, and an unfamiliar or changing lesion should be assessed rather than treated as a cosmetic spot. Skin tone and previous inflammation influence the chance of temporary light or dark marks.

Have each area examined before treatment, particularly if a mark is new, uneven, itchy, bleeding, or changing. Avoid tanning before the appointment and tell the clinician about recent peels, retinoids, medicines, cold sores, and prior pigment reactions. Ask whether a test patch is sensible. After a session, follow the cleansing instructions, leave any crust alone, and use broad-spectrum sun protection. Limit further ultraviolet exposure because treated freckles can darken and untreated freckles may become visible again. Nd:YAG is also used in other contexts, such as Laser Hair Removal and Laser Treatment For Nail Fungus, but those protocols do not determine the right plan for freckles.

Report increasing pain, blistering, spreading redness, pus, or swelling that does not settle. Arrange a skin check for a freckle-like mark that changes in size, shape, border, or colour, or that repeatedly bleeds or crusts. Seek urgent care for severe eye symptoms if treatment was near the eyelids.

Are these marks definitely freckles, and does any one need closer examination? Which Nd:YAG mode fits my skin tone and pigment depth? How will you protect nearby skin and test the response? What sun protection and skincare should I use afterward?