Lasers to Consider Avoiding in the Summer

Before you schedule a laser treatment in the summer, take into account all outdoor exposure for a month before and a month after the treatment. This applies when considering IPL, Fraxel, Fraxel Dual, Hair Removal (if it’s an exposed site), or the CO2.

This general guideline does depend somewhat on where you live and what you do. Some people spend more time oudoors in the winter, like snow skiiers or boarders, for example. Or some people spend the winters in sunny warm places where they get a lot of sun and light. The general idea is to do most of your laser treatments for the time of year when you are NOT outdoors a lot. This tip especially applies if you have a darker skin type (Type III or more) or if you have a history of melasma.

Quick tip on melasma and sun: I just got back from a family vacation in northern Michigan. It was very warm and sunny. I used a lotion sunscreen (Elta MD UV Lotion SPF 30 or the Elta MD Sport) with the powder sunscreen (Colorescience) brushed on top of that, and it works pretty well to keep melasma from flaring.

Dr. Irwin

See Dr. Irwin’s article on Melasma in Depth.

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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