Pigment FAQ: The Ten Must-Answer Questions

The Ten Musts

1. Curable? Lentigines clear, freckles slowly regrow, melasma needs long-term management (the program).
2. Sessions to results? Superficial 1-2, mixed 3-4 (the typing).
3. Is darkening normal? Common in darker skin, fades over months (the PIH).
4. Treat melasma with lasers? Low-fluence conservative lane plus combined care (the entry).
5. How much does sunscreen matter? Half the outcome (the mechanism).
6. Scarring? Proper light work leaves no true scars; risks are pigmentary.
7. Oral tranexamic acid? Evidence-supported; a physician-prescribed path.
8. Makeup after? Once micro-crusts shed (the entry).
9. Relapse? Sunscreen decides; annual maintenance is normal.
10. Why not cheap acid dotting? Uncontrolled depth, scar risk (the myths).

More Top Questions

11. Can children treat freckles? Minors: sunscreen and observation; devices after adulthood (the minor boundary).
12. How long on oral tranexamic acid? Physician-prescribed; typically reviewed every 3 months.
13. Spots returned — a rebound? New spots mean UV and triggers persist: relapse, not failure. Sunscreen and maintenance decide the long game (the mechanism).
14. Pigment and rejuvenation same day? Depends on the device mix and tolerance; most clinics stage it (the principles).

When a Consult Is Mandatory

• Spots enlarging, changing color or shape rapidly (rule out lesions first).
• Pregnancy/lactation, photosensitizing medication history.
• Prior scarring or depigmentation after light-based treatment.

Related Terms

• Melasma
• Q-Switched
• Picosecond