Cosmetic Laser vs. Skin Cancer

Using a medical grade cosmetic laser, such as Cutera IPL, for removal of sun spots or freckles can be an effective way to improve the appearance and overall health of your skin.

Cosmetic laser skin treatment will work quite successfully on flat pigmented freckles or solar lentigo and also on small superficial blood vessels. Pigmented moles that are raised or have any thickness to them will not be removed by this treatment though they may have a change in their appearance.

It is important to first check if any pigmented spots about to be treated appear suspicious for skin cancer, especially melanoma, as they should not be lasered. Any lesion suspicious for skin cancer and melanoma must be biopsied.

Skin cancer expert Dr Sally Shaw advised: “Removing the pigmentation from the surface of the skin or changing the appearance of raised moles may delay the diagnosing of a melanoma and increase the danger of that melanoma spreading.”

“Before you have any pigmented spots or red areas on your skin treated with cosmetic laser go to your skin cancer doctor or dermatologist for a skin check and then you can safely have that pigmentation removed,” she said. “Spending time in the sun is the reason why we have these discolourations on our skin, so you need to protect your skin from UV with sun screen and hats or the sun damage will return.”

Dr Sally Shaw runs a busy Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Laser Clinic where the patients are encouraged to have skin checks or mole mapping before any cosmetic laser rejuvenation treatments.

For further information on treating skin cancer, skin checks, mole mapping or cosmetic laser head to www.pscc.net.au

Contact Information

Sue Dixon

Marketing and Training Officer

Peninsula Skin Cancer Centre

(61) 03 5975 9544

sue@pscc.net.au