The nature of the CLEAR + BRILLIANT TM laser system procedure has been explained to me. I understand that just as there may be benefits from the procedure, all procedures involve risk to some degree.
You will be treated with the CLEAR + BRILLIANT TM laser system. The CLEAR + BRILLIANT is FDA cleared for the following indications:
• Skin resurfacing
• Dermatologic procedures requiring photocoagulation
EXPLAINATION OF PROCEDURE
The treatments are spaced apart every 2-4 weeks for 4-6 treatments. Photographs will be taken at each visit. Please come with no make-up, including eyeliner, mascara, or lipsticks. The procedure itself takes 15 minutes to 45 minutes depending upon the size of treatment area. The sensation during treatment may range from prickly, rubber band snapping, to a burning/heat sensation.
Following your treatment, you will experience varying degree of redness, swelling and heat sensation, similar to mild sunburn. Light peeling/flaking of the skin may also occur. These common side effects last from several days to a couple of weeks, depending upon the aggressiveness of the treatments.
I understand that the following are among the possible risks or complications associated with the CLEAR +BRILLIANT laser system procedure:
Eye injury – Eye injuries may result from either numbing cream getting into the eyes, or the laser beams. Do not rub your eyes while the numbing cream remains on your face. Your eyes will be covered with protective goggles and should remain closed during the treatment.
Bleeding – The laser treatment may cause some bleeding. It is usually pin-point (petechiae), does not reachthe upper level of the skin, and stops within a few minutes without any lasting effect. They then shed within one week. Occasionally bleeding may occur on a larger scale (purpura). The redness will darken to purple and purple-yellow and will disappear in one to two weeks.
Pigment Changes – During healing phase (up to 6 months after the treatment), the treated area may appearto be darker. This is called PIH, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. You may have experienced this type of reaction before and noticed it with minor cuts or abrasions. PIH occurs as part of normal skin reaction to injury, as the skin functions become hyperactive during the healing process, including cells that produce pigments (melanocytes). Not surprisingly, PIH occurs more frequently with darker skin-colored patients, or patients already with a tan.
To reduce the risk of PIH, the treated area must be protected from exposure to the sun. However, in some patients, increased skin coloring occurs even if the area has been protected from the sun. This darker pigmentation usually fades in three to six months. In extremely rare cases, the pigment change could be permanent.