The first rule of sun protection following a cosmetic laser is straightforward: let the treated area heal away from direct sunlight and make broad-spectrum SPF 50+ part of your daily regimen. But you will want to put your clinician’s word above all else; what constitutes the proper routine is dictated by the type of laser, your skin and its reaction to it, as well as the depth of the treatment.
One should not be in any doubt that cosmetic laser work can make the skin unduly sensitive to ultraviolet radiation and heat. An impromptu lunch in the sun, a protracted drive with the light on one side of your face or an unthinking day at the beach are all things that can bring on discomfort, redness, pigmentation issues and slow the healing process. Connor Birchall sets out the everyday habits and pitfalls to be aware of to safeguard your results here in Australia.
Put Healing Skin Out of Harm’s Way
It is more than a matter of not getting sunburnt. In skin that is tender, red or flaking, ultraviolet exposure can inflame the tissue and lead to patchy pigmentation after a laser treatment.
You may think the day is mild but Australia has a way of putting out strong UV. As the ARPANSA monitoring data on ultraviolet radiation makes clear, it is UV conditions you need to check, not the cloud cover or the thermometer. A morning in Queensland can be cool and still be full of UV. The sun does not have to be fierce to be problematic.
Heed the Clinic
Your practitioner will let you know which products to steer clear of, when to put on sunscreen and the best way to wash the area. You are not to put sunscreen on crusted, oozing or broken skin unless your clinician has given you the nod. For more on post laser skin recovery, follow your clinician’s advice.
Depending on the treatment, the clinic may have you start with a plain moisturiser and some gentle cleansing, or they might put you on a prescribed ointment or dressing. There is a difference in the way a superficial non-ablative and a deeper ablative procedure heal and the advice will reflect that.
A Word on Your Laser
With a non-ablative laser the skin surface is left alone for the most part, if there is some swelling or redness. Ablative lasers take off some of the outer layer and call for a more exacting approach to wound care and staying out of the sun. Then there are the varied aftercare needs of hair removal, vascular or scarring treatments. Do not guess at what you have had, refer to your record. “Just a quick zap” may be comforting to hear but it is no medical classification.
| Treatment Situation | Typical Sun-Protection Priority | What To Watch For |
|---|---|---|
| Surface-level / non-ablative | Priority is to limit direct exposure and time your sunscreen as the clinic has said. | Be on the lookout for darker patches, stinging or heat. |
| Ablative resurfacing | Do not expose the area until the skin has closed and you have been given the go-ahead for sunscreen. | Watch for weeping, crusting or infection. |
| Pigment-targeting | Daily protection must be rigorous to forestall post-inflammatory pigmentation. | Any new grey or brown areas are a sign to be wary of. |
| Hair removal | As the provider directs, do not tan before or after. | Blistering and marked irritation are not uncommon. |
Make a Routine You Can Stick To
When you are in a hurry to get to work or out for a flat white, the ideal routine is one you can put into practice without thinking. Combine your sunscreen with some shade and clothing and you are better protected. Too many consider their sunscreen a magic shield and feel entitled to spend the afternoon by the pool. It is not. Make it a series of defences, not a single dollop of cream.
Broad-Spectrum SPF 50+
After your clinician deems it safe, pick an SPF 50+ that is broad-spectrum and will not sting. That covers both UVA and UVB radiation. Put it on liberally over any exposed, healed skin. People tend to skimp on the neck, jaw and around the ears and hairline. If you are outside, reapply every couple of hours or straight after a swim or towelling down.
Should the sunscreen burn or add to the irritation, put it aside and put in to the clinic. Some find a mineral formula easier on the skin but that is no guarantee it is right for skin that has only just been treated; it has to be something your skin can stand.
Add Hats, Shade And Clothing
And do not forget your hat. A baseball cap will leave the sides of your face and ears open to the elements where a wide-brimmed one offers proper coverage. A pair of sunglasses will shield the eyes from glare; for the neck, chest or arms a long-sleeved shirt of light weight is good for covering any treated areas.
Make use of shade as much as you can, in the middle of the day especially. Be mindful that sunlight bounces off pale paving, concrete, water and sand. A beach umbrella is fine, but one should not think it blocks all the UV from reaching the skin from below or the side.
Outdoor Activities
In the early stages of recovery your clinician may be amenable to you putting off outdoor exercise until the late afternoon or first thing in the morning. Do not partake in hot yoga, strenuous activity, saunas or spas when the skin is irritated, hot or swollen, as the sweat and heat will only compound the discomfort.
Those with an outdoor job or who put in the miles behind the wheel, or are on the footy sideline at weekends, should have their coverage in order prior to treatment. Have sunscreen and a hat in the car but let the sunscreen sit in the glovebox at your peril; it will separate into some unappealing scientific experiment if left to bake.
Recovering in Australia
The climate here presents its own set of challenges. One has to contend with strong UV, wind, salt water, dry air and humidity. The coastal humidity in Queensland can render some products sticky, whereas inland you may find healing skin is flaky and tight from the aridity. Out in the Top End the wet season makes for a trying time with the heat and perspiration. And in the south there is a tendency for cool weather to mask the strength of the UV on a clear spring day.
Heat and Humidity
Should the area in question become flushed or hot, retreat to a cool room indoors. Wear something soft and clean; unless they are essential and your clinician is okay with it, do not have the edges of a helmet or mask or tight straps chafing the area.
Under no circumstances put ice straight on the skin. It is an injury waiting to happen to skin that is already sensitive, a most unhelpful turn of events. Should you need to cool down, put a clean barrier between and adhere to what the clinic has advised.
Water
There is chlorine, salt, bacteria and intense reflected UV to be had at the pool, river, spa or beach, none of which are ideal for healing skin. Refrain from swimming until the treating practitioner has given you leave to do so. After you have been in the water, put on physical cover and put on more sunscreen. Even the best waterproof variety is not invincible after a bit of towel rub and an enthusiastic cannonball.
Commuting
Do not assume the vehicle is going to see you through. Car windows block some UV but not all of it; a protracted drive will expose the face, hands and arms through the side window. Put on protective clothes and apply sunscreen to any exposed healed parts before you set off. If the treated area is on one side of the face, make use of shade and change position where you can. Approved tinting is also an option.
When to Worry
You may experience a measure of redness, swelling or tenderness in the course of normal recovery. What matters is if these symptoms are abating or on the increase. Call the clinic without delay over worsening pain, fever, pus, marked swelling or any colour change in the skin you did not anticipate. Severe allergic reaction or swelling that impinges on vision or breathing requires urgent medical attention.
Common Pitfalls
Incidental exposure is something people are wont to overlook. The walk from the car park, twenty minutes in the garden or a trip around the block with the dog will add up. The skin does not maintain a spreadsheet of it but small exposures have their effect.
Then there is the error of being too hasty with strong skincare. Recovering skin will be stung by retinoids, vitamin C, exfoliating acids, scrubs or acne treatments. Put the whole bathroom shelf away and ask the clinician when each product can be used again.
Reality Check
It is tempting to think sunscreen is enough to ward off every mark. In fact it is only as good as the clothing, timing and wound care you put in place. Or that a cloudy, pleasant day is without risk, when the UV can be quite potent. As for a darker patch, do not expect post-inflammatory pigmentation to be gone by nightfall; it can take its time and if it is getting worse a professional opinion is called for.
A Recovery Checklist
Post this on the mirror or next to your keys for easy reference. We have kept it plain since anything complicated is bound to fall apart once real life sets in.
- Get confirmation from the clinic as to when you can safely put on sunscreen.
- For the duration of the healing process, make sure any treated skin is covered and shielded from the sun.
- On exposed skin that has healed a broad-spectrum SPF 50+ is called for.
- If you are out of doors, put some on again at least once in two hours or when you have been swimming or perspiring.
- Make use of protective clothing, sunglasses and a hat with a wide brim.
- Do not go to the spa, sauna or tanning pool, nor do any swimming, without approval.
- Put down any skincare that is likely to be an irritant until your clinician gives the ok.
- Should symptoms get worse instead of better, get in touch with the clinic.
Common Aftercare Questions
One is apt to have questions after one has left the clinic and is standing in the open, perhaps finding the sun more intense than one thought. The answer will be as safe as it can be in light of the advice given and the treatment in question.
Is it alright to put on sunscreen immediately post laser?
Not in every case. With the skin raw or weeping, or under a dressing, your clinician might have you wait or put something else on. It is best to hold off on sunscreen until the practitioner in charge says the skin is ready; putting it on too soon stings and gets in the way of proper wound care.
What is the rule on direct sun?
That will depend on a number of things: the type of laser, the area of the body, how deep the treatment was and the way you heal. While some must eschew the sun entirely in the early stages, for others it is a matter of being careful for weeks on end. Your clinician’s word and the state of your skin are what count, not what the calendar says.
If I have my SPF 50+ on can I be outside?
You can when you are allowed to be, but consider the sunscreen only part of the equation. Make for the shade, don the hat and cover up where you can. Prolonged time in the sun, especially with high UV, is to be avoided. An SPF 50+ lessens the exposure, it does not negate it.
My skin has darkened since the procedure, what now?
It could be post-inflammatory pigmentation or something else. Forgive yourself the urge to scrub or put strong acids on it to put right the colour in a hurry; you will only add to the irritation and complicate matters. Cease tanning and ring your treating clinic for guidance.
Makeup for the redness?
Only when the skin is closed over and your clinician deems it appropriate. Cosmetics on broken or upset skin run the risk of contamination and discomfort. Then again, if you are to use them, be gentle in application and removal and stick to clean products without fragrance.
Long term protection of your results
In Australia good sun protection following a cosmetic laser is a daily affair, not something the clinic makes you do for a while. When you are past the recovery phase, keep up the broad-spectrum SPF 50+, the shade and the clothing to ward off further damage.
I would say this from experience of dealing with Australian conditions: get your protection in order before you come in for the appointment. Have the hat by the door, see what the UV forecast is, make provision for indoor transport and have the clinic’s aftercare number to hand. You will thank yourself for the preparation rather than have to put up with irritated skin later in the day.
Recovery tends to be less of an ordeal if you regard sun protection as integral to the treatment. Be patient and let your skin have its way to settle. Follow the professional counsel. The sun is not going anywhere.