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I am sorry that this has happened to you. Just one point - I suspect that this was an IPL and not a laser. Can you find out what was used on you?
I am afraid that this type of hypopigmentation can take months and months to clear and there is nothing that you can do really to help it along. I would NOT advise you going on tanning beds, this is not the answer at all.
I think it will go eventually, but you will have to be very patient. I am sorry not to be more positive.
The good news is that they will resolve themselves and will go away. The bad news is that it can take several months. I wouldn’t tan right now. I would see a dermatologist (who’s not affiliated with this clinic) who can provide you with an unbiased assessment and prescribe a cream to speed up the process.
What machine was used? How experienced was the operator? I can’t imagine that he is too knowledgeable or experienced if they did those entire areas without noticing any signs of burning. Based on the result, the burns should have been obvious to them when they were happening if they are experienced.
Thank you for the replies… I am not sure what kind of laser is was but it was a machine with a handel & the tip was a circle the size of a nickle (it felt extrmly hot, then cold right after) I will find out what was used. This was my 4th treatment, this was done at a spa that facial plastic surgeons own… my Doctor would set the settings each time & a lady would acctually do it & it was great when they did it that way… but on my 4th treatment, my Dr. was out of town & his brother (another Dr. that owned the spa) filled in and raised the settings from 20j to 30j (and I said it was extremly painful) I was also unaware the settings were set that much higher… also, this time, the lady was there, but the Dr. was doing it. So I am not sure how experienced they are… but this is one of the best offices for facial plastic surgery in my city (so I assumed they knew what they were doing at the spa also). I am missing out on a lot of work & I am extremly depressed that my thighs look like this… I can’t even wear a dress when I go out. They seem very apologetic, and I know it was a mistake… but am I wrong for thinking about taking this to court? If it is really going to take months to get better, I don’t know what I will do without being able to work… this is really taking a toll on my families finances & my daugthers Christmas. =(
You probably signed something releiving them of responsibility. But considering the extent of the burns, I would at least demand a refund if I were you. Also, take pictures just in case throughout the healing process. And yes, it will take some months for it to completely go away. There are some creams that can help speed up the process.
Unfortunately it doesn’t matter if they’re good at plastic surgery. LHR is a complicated procedure that requires specific knowledge and experience specifically with hair removal. The best clinics and technicians are those who are doing exclusively hair removal, for years, since it takes experience to know what settings to use on various skin types to achieve results (as you have experienced first hand). Clinics that do lots of various procedures rarely have enough experience in any one field since they don’t do one thing day in day out.
I remember signing a paper that says there are risks & it is rare that they happen. But the thing is… it’s not supposed to happen if you do it correctly. I was reading online that a few people have sued & won (and their burns looked just like mine). I mean I got the hair removal so I wouldn’t have to shave, not so I couldn’t have a career anymore…? I am so so depressed, I never thought something like this would happen to me. And you are very right, I should have went somewhere that only does laser hair removal.
Your pictures look as though your legs are pretty tanned. If so, they should not have treated you, especially not increasing the settings without doing a test spot first. Were you this tan during the first 3 treatments at the lower settings?
Yes, that is the color of my skin…?
That’s tough that your job depends on your physical appearance and now you can’t work because your physical appearance has been compromised. In your case, losing income is as much as an issue as the burn marks. You’d have to talk to an attorney for guidance and weigh your options to try and recoup lost income. I don’t know if you have a reporting agency where you live, but that can add some leverage for your case.
Are you a natural blond? Are your thigh hairs light? I’m wondering why laser was done if your thigh hair is light.
I have naturally drity blond hair. And I was supposed to model for their ads, so that’s why I was doing the full leg… it hurt so bad, we had to stop & save the bottom half for the next time that never came around.
Oh, so you were about to become one of those models in those glossy laser ads. Was this a barter type situation, where they would use your picture and then you wouldn’t have to pay for treatments?
Now, what I don’t get is, why would they even think that you could possibly be a good candidate for laser hair reduction if you have lighter hair? Your skin color is a problem, too. You really look tanned, even though you said your were not.
I agree that these marks will take a long time to heal. Hopefully, they will fade in about 6-12 months, but everyone is different. The main concern would be to heal as fast as possible and the tanning suggestion was not a good one.
I agree. Several things here seem odd, or point to their complete incompetence. Laser doesn’t work on blond hair. It works best on dark coarse hair. And it shouldn’t be used on tanned skin. And if your natural color is that dark, they should have only used a Yag laser. It would be helpful for your legal case as well to know what exact machine this was and what settings were used (joules, pulse, and spot size numbers). It would also help to know what skin type they classified you as.
Let me jump in here.
First, you were treated with an IPL. No other system could have produced those marks.
Second, you have actually healed very well. From the pictures, your skin looks to be completely healed. What you have is a noticeable difference between the pigment in the unaffected skin and the pigment where you were burned. And this is no different than if you had been sunburned. Except that the melanocytes (cells that make melanin) are a little shocked. So it takes them some time to recover and it takes them some time to repigment.
How long this takes is variable. In your case, you want to repigment as fast as possible. But that can be dangerous. Because too much tanning can damage this unprotected skin and take you from too little to too much. First, I would not go to the tanning booth until your skin is completely healed. And you may want to wait a little longer for the melanocytes to get back up to speed.
As much tanning as you state, then it may be that they are not yet ready. And you should wait. Normally, I would tell someone (and I have seen this many times) that in month or two there should be a very noticeable reduction in the difference and within 3-6 months (assuming you don’t over do the tanning) you should see it go away completely. I’ve seen it recover much faster and I’ve seen it take longer. You can speed it up a little bit but only so much and at the risk of making it worst.
As far as your job, I would suggest a makeup line called Dermablend. It is designed specifically for this and should completely blend in areas so that it can’t be seen. Of course you won’t be able to do anything wet until the area resolves.
As far as a legal case. Looking at your pictures on your website, you are not the best candidate. But that is hard to say without actually seeing your skin and hair. But the reality is that these types of reactions do occur and I am not aware of anyone winning a lawsuit. There have been a few cases paraded around the media and there may be some settlements. But it is hard to win this kind of case because by the time you go to the courtroom, your skin will look perfectly normal, you did sign a waiver, and it is hard to say that they committed malpractice. On the other hand, they do have a responsibility to help you as much as possible.
PS. Dermablend isn’t cheap. The center you went to should cover the cost.
Thank you all for replying… yes, this was a barter. And my skin color is naturally tan, and I also still had somewhat of a tan from the summertime. They never said anything about the risks of getting burnt bad… they only said it would be like a slight sunburn for a day or so. I talked to a few dermatologists who said it will take months to years to start looking normal again & that in the first photo I showed 2nd degree burns. That’s why I wanted to file a case. It’s getting really depressing not being able to work. But hearing that will take up to 6mo maybe a little longer, sounds much better. I just wanted the Dr. to be realistic… it aggrivates me that he says give it a few weeks & that he’s telling me to tan, when everyone else I spoke to said that was crazy to do. I will have to look into Dermablend. They have spray tanned me at the Dr. office, but you could still see it clearly, though it did look better. It also really scared me when I looked up some patients that had laser burns that looked like mine, but were permanent. Is there anything I can do or anyway I can get compensated on the work I have missed & the work I am missing out on w/o filing a case? I was also in the world finals for a pagent competition in the bahamas that was all paid for & I had to drop out of because of this. I really don’t want to have a whole suit, especially if it does start to look better… I just want all of this to be fair. I didn’t expect to get burnt & I didn’t even know there was a possiablility to get burnt this bad (I really should have researched before I did this whole thing). Thanks again I really appreciate all of you writing me back.
So, no money exchanged means that you don’t have to fight for anything on that front. I think it sounds like you have done all you can do on getting information on how bad this is and you understand now that time is needed to allow the body to heal.
If this spa/doctor know how this has affected your livlihood, maybe you can work out an agreement with them. Lawsuits are painful for both sides, so try to effectively communicate with the source of your problem first. Any action after that, requires legal advice. We are not lawyers here and I don’t recall if anyone in a similar situation on hairtell, ever went the legal route and was compensated accordingly. If they were, they were probably restricted from talking about it publically.
Your story is sad. Anyone reading this thread can only take heed and be very cautious when getting laser or IPL hair reduction. Always research anything you do in the future because no one cares for you more than you do.
Dee
Tanning is the last thing you ever want to do when burned or scarred. It has to do with how basal and epithelial cells react differently to light (melanin content levels). Who ever told you to tan has shown professional error, they are at fault as well as the clinic where you were treated. It does not have to be permanent for litigation to be successful, nor did there have to be an exchange of money. And don’t worry about anything you signed. Cardinal rule in insurance: You can’t waive liability. They caused, or worsened, they are liable. When you sign something that has medical repercussions, you, yourself can’t be held responsible, you have no medical training. It’s all in their court. Their faults are all accountable. I really wish you goodluck in this.
Document everything.
Mantaray
You should talk to one or two good lawyers to get an opinon on the litigability of this situation. Even if you don’t win, they might settle out of court. At the very least they will have to answer for the damage caused to your body, your means of income and emotional distress caused.
Not doing anything is condoning the less than careful action of the operators, this is not ok guys. I would be very sad and very mad in your situation, but would have to move beyond feelings and take action. Your choice. I am sorry you have suffered like this.
btw, if you were consider this again on any area, please do your research first! you’ll also find out that you should be as light as possible for treatments, without ANY tan. and they should really only treat dark coarse hair.
where did you find something about permanent damage from these types of burns? most of the stories on tv and internet only show pictures of how things look in the beginning. they rarely follow up long enough to see if there was actually any permanent damage caused, as it takes a while to go away completely (but eventually does).
good luck to you and let us know how this turns out for you.
Where are you located ??? If you are in the New York area, we can help you alot.