Pre Treatment Instructions
- Your practitioner may prescribe a bleaching cream and a retinoid combination to precondition your skin two to six weeks prior to treatment. This will speed and improve your healing process.
- Stop retinoids or any other products that cause redness and irritation five days prior to your treatment.
- No sun exposure for four to six weeks prior to treatment. This is defined as any outdoor exposure that may change the color of your skin, either red or tan, despite the use of proper sunblock. Sun exposure within this time frame can cause permanent skin discoloration problems. Your practitioner may cancel your treatment if you have had sun exposure in order to avoid problems with your recovery and overall result.
- If you have cystic acne or other active skin conditions or infections in the area to be treated on the day of your treatment, it may be postponed until the condition resolves.
- Please inform your practitioner if you have a history of cold sores or fever blisters. If you do, an antiviral medication will be prescribed to decrease the possibility of a breakout after your treatment.
- Consider shaving any hair in the area being treated (beards, mustaches, arm or leg hair, etc.) prior to laser treatment to reduce the risk of igniting hair.
Post Treatment Instructions
You have just received Pico Laser treatment. Please read the following post care instruction carefully and follow them closely. Please call if you have any questions or concerns.
NOTE: During the healing process (5-7 days) NO ACTIVE PRODUCTS should be used on the skin as they may cause irritation to the treated area. This includes all of the following: any form of retinol, hydroquinone, salicylic/glycolic/lactic acid, vitamin C, or Benzoyl Peroxide. Do not use anything abrasive like a washcloth, or Clarisonic brush during the healing process as premature removal of dead skin may compromise overall results.
- Immediately following treatment the skin will feel quite hot. Cooling measures for comfort will be administered by your practitioner as well as moisturizer and sunblock applied. After it cools it will feel like a sunburn for a few hours.
- Following treatment of the tattoo, apply a lubricant (Aquaphor® Healing Ointment or Vaseline®) to the area and cover with a non-stick dressing and paper tape. Apply the lubricant and dressing for 7-10 days following treatment and then re-cover the treatment site with a non-adherent dressing affixed with paper tape.
- The treated area should be cared for delicately until healing is complete. Wash with gentle cleanser twice a day, apply gentle moisturizer as needed, and a physical sunblock of SPF 30+ for the first week after treatment.
- Avoid sun exposure for a minimum of two weeks post treatment.
- There may be discomfort resulting from the treatment. Benign pigmented lesions may become darker. Erythematous discoloration may appear immediately after treatment and last for a few minutes to a few days. This may be replaced with an erythema or purpura for several days. A scab may form at the treatment area and drop off in 7-10 days.
- Acne breakouts may be observed post treatment and typically resolve after several days. Avoid scrubbing or picking skin as it may result in irritation and compromise the overall result.
- Prevent trauma to the treated area for the first 7-10 days following treatment.
- Avoid physical exercise (aerobics, lawn mowing, sports activities) for 1- 2 days to reduce the risk of infection.
- Do not participate in any rough physical activities (playing contact sports, etc.) for 10 days post-treatment, and avoid excessive perspiration to the area as it may cause tissue disruption.
- Swimming in chlorinated water should be avoided until full healing in the treatment area.
Please do not hesitate to call our office at (855) 383-7546 if you have any questions or concerns about your treatments. After hours, if you have an urgent situation that you feel cannot wait until the next business day please call (800) 313-6757 and follow the prompts to page the on-call provider.