There is some discomfort during the procedure likened to the snapping of a warm rubber band on the skin. Most people find this to be mild and tolerable. We use cold ice packs to minimize any discomfort.
Immediately after a treatment, there may be some redness and/or mild swelling, although usually this dissipates before you leave the office or within a couple of hours. Make-up can be applied immediately after a treatment.
Uncommonly, a skin wound such as superficial blisters and scabs can occur, which heal within 2 to 14 days. Use of anti-biotic ointment on a regular basis usually results in uneventful healing. There is a <0.5% possibility of a skin wound leaving behind a permanent scar. It is also rare for an infection to occur since the skin is usually not broken.
Another risk is the possibility of hypo (too little) or hyper (too much) pigmentation that is very uncommon. Usually treatable with prescription creams, chemical peels or further laser treatments, there is a <1% possibility that the pigmentation could be permanent, However, there is an increased risk of this with tanned or naturally dark skin. You may need extra treatments than those required by others if your skin is dark in order for us to be more conservative (gentler with initial and subsequent treatments) due to this increased risk. It is also important that you let any tanning lotions fade and do not seek artificial tanning treatments for 3-4 weeks prior to the procedure. It is also important to avoid artificial tanning, tanning lotions or sun tanning until at least 6 weeks after your treatment course is completed.