Dr. Montserrat Planas, Director of the Laser Unit, explains how to remove skin spots once they have appeared. And we have good news: laser treatment works.
How do we remove skin spots with laser treatment?
The first step is to obtain an accurate diagnosis:
What type of spot is it? At what depth is the lesion located in the dermis? Is it superficial? Once we can answer these questions, the appropriate treatment can be selected. It is important to emphasize that there is a personalized treatment for each case.
It is essential to ask ourselves, in broad terms: What are the different types of spots?
The most common spots are solar lentigines or “age spots,” which are usually epidermal. Some spots may be dermal (deeper in the skin). In this case, they need to be treated differently. For lentigines, there are several systems that can be very effective, such as intense pulsed light (IPL) or an Alexandrite laser. For deeper spots, treatment with a CO₂ laser is required.
There is also actinic keratosis—a rough, scaly spot on the skin that appears after years of sun exposure. It can occur on both the face and the body. This type of lesion is also treated with a CO₂ laser.
Sometimes, a lesion that initially appears superficial turns out to be deeper than expected. In these cases, if we treat it with non-ablative or non-surgical lasers—such as the Alexandrite laser or IPL—the spot will lighten significantly, but a shadow may remain because the treatment did not reach the deepest part of the lesion. In this situation, there are two options: either treat it with a more surgical laser, or—if the shadow is very light—wait and observe how it evolves.
Winter is the ideal time to reinforce treatment with a different type of laser in order to reach the deepest part of the lesion.
Is it a painful treatment?
Dr. Montserrat Planas explains: “I always say that treatments that are slightly effective or very effective don’t feel like a relaxing massage.” That said, it is essential to differentiate between “pain” and “discomfort.”
Any treatment that has a certain level of effectiveness must cause some discomfort, because we are vaporizing and burning structures without damaging the skin. In other words, if there is no discomfort at all, nothing effective would be happening. Here it is important to clarify that we are able to remove a spot without injuring the skin.
That said, at the moment of removing the spot, the patient will feel a slight burning sensation. This is a completely tolerable discomfort; in most cases, no anesthesia is needed.
It is also worth noting that, depending on the treatment, this discomfort can vary in intensity. Once the treatment is finished, the discomfort disappears completely.
How many sessions are needed to remove skin spots?
Generally, between two and three sessions are required, depending on the diagnosis. You may have a very superficial spot that can be removed in a single session, but most patients need between two and three sessions.
Does laser treatment have side effects?
No, not at all. Although some people with very sensitive skin may experience redness for a few days, there are generally no significant side effects. One week after the treatment, the patient can resume normal daily activities.
What is the price of laser treatment to remove skin spots?
The cost of the treatment depends on each patient’s diagnosis. Removing a single lentigo is not the same as removing fifty, and the price also depends on the type of laser used. Therefore, the final cost will vary according to the number and type of spots that need to be treated. These treatments can start from €200 per session.
