Laser skin resurfacing/rejuvenation involves laser energy injuring the top layers and mid layers of your skin. New healthy tissue can be sensitive to the sun and easily damaged by sun exposure. This is called photo-sensitivity.
Common response to sun exposure after treatment is for your skin to darken, freckle, and to be “photo-damaged.” Typically photo-damaged skin is more susceptible to scaly, patchy skin and skin cancers. 6-8 weeks post treatment skin has regenerated and regular sun exposure is acceptable.
Laser Treatment During the Summer
Despite all the options, is laser treatment safe during the summer season? Absolutely! If you are following our pre- and post-laser instructions, laser treatment is safe for any season and by having it during the summer, you can ensure you have healthy-looking, glowing skin well into fall.
The one risk is the amount of sun there is during the summer. You do want to postpone lasers if you are tan, or sun burned. We typically recommend 4-6 weeks out of direct sun if you haven’t been wearing a hat and sunscreen and a noticeable tan to the skin that’s being treated. After laser treatment, you are advised to avoid direct sun exposure. This means no going to the beach or exposing the treated areas when outdoors. The sun can lead to burns, scarring, and hyperpigmentation in the treatment areas. But this isn’t advice that is only given in the summer; it’s given all year round. Just because you may have more access to the sun during the summer, doesn’t mean you can’t have the treatment. You simply need to be more careful and always wear sunscreen.
Tips When Getting Laser Treatment During the Summer
If you do choose to have laser treatment during the summer, there are a few tips you can take to ensure you achieve the results you’re looking for and avoid the risk of sun damage. Some of these tips include:
Apply Sunscreen Regularly
The importance of sunscreen cannot be stated enough. You need to apply it regularly on any exposed skin and especially on treatment areas. Make sure to use sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30 and one that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
Cover the Treated Area
If you are going to be outside after getting laser treatment, make sure to cover the area. If it’s your legs, wear pants or a long skirt. Or maybe you received laser treatment on your arms? Try wearing long sleeves. And if your face had laser treatment, think about wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to ensure the sun doesn’t hit your skin directly.
Avoid the Sun During Recovery
You can also stay inside or in the shade as much as possible for one to two weeks after your laser treatment. With the temperatures being higher than ever, why not stay in the air-conditioning? It will not only ensure you stay cool and comfortable, but it will also guarantee that you won’t have to worry about the effects of the sun on the treated area.
For best results, apply sunscreen daily with an SPF of 30 or higher. Reapply the sunscreen throughout the day and avoid direct sunlight without protection.
As you can see from the photos, my client, (who had been performing laser treatment for a couple of years), wanted to get a treatment before summer but failed to mention he went to Miami for a week in March, a couple of weeks before the laser treatment. Since his skin type was already moderately dark and his last treatment was a few months prior, it was unbeknownst to me how dark he had gotten, although I did ask and he denied being in the sun. As a result, he was burned after his treatment but thankfully, like most sunburns, it only took a few weeks to recover with no residual scarring or hyper/hypopigmentation.
Lessons learned: he failed to mention a few things:
- it was less than 2 weeks before his laser treatment appointment
- his skin had darkened by a she or two, which means he couldn't perform the same settings as we had done over winter
- although his skin didn't peel, he did sustain a moderate sunburn to his shoulders
- my client confirmed only the next day that during the treatment, the pulses felt hotter, burning and more painful that previous sessions
- having already gone through 2 years of treatment, he should've suggested we push out by a few weeks