Is laser resurfacing safe for darker skin tones?

Skin tone shapes how you should weigh laser resurfacing, so it belongs near the start of your preparation. This page answers the question for readers in Dexter, Michigan.

What the pigmentation warning means for your prep

Two health sources name the same risk. According to my.clevelandclinic.org, if you have a darker skin tone, you have a greater risk of healing with darker pigmentation (hyperpigmentation). According to www.plasticsurgery.org, it is possible the treated area can become darker in tone.

The risk is a change in colour after healing. Read the two statements as a reason to ask questions, not as a verdict on your skin.

Where this sits in your preparation

Settle skin tone before you compare lasers or providers. Different laser types are studied separately, such as a randomized study of ablative and non-ablative fractional erbium lasers for photoaging, and a retrospective study of fractional carbon dioxide laser against microneedling with radiofrequency for acne scars shows a second pairing.

Ask which laser type a provider plans to use on your skin before you look at anything else.

What to gather for the consultation

• A short note on your skin tone and any past experience of darker marks after healing.
• The two statements above, printed or saved, so you can ask how each applies to you.
• Your question about which laser type the provider would choose and why.