Considering laser skin treatment, has anyone got experience?

[Disappearing]

I have some prominent large freckles on my forehead and cheeks, which I hate, and I have been intending to have removed.

I know very little about how to proceed, I expect treatment would be by zapping with lasers, and I found a couple of clinics locally just by Googling.

I have some anxiety about this, I'm concerned about effectiveness, and side effects particularly scabbing in the time immediately afterwards, and longer term scarring. Also I have a couple of moles on my face and I'm wondering if these can also be removed in a similar way.

If you have knowledge or experience of freckle removal, laser treatment, mole removal, side effects etc. please share with me!

Many thanks

I can totally understand you feel anxious about this, please ensure you have a consult with an actual dermotologist before proceeding, the consult will cost between £60 and £100 depending on the area you're in, and they will be able to answer all your queries and advise you properly. Please don't have treatment from someone without medical quals, your face is too important. If you want to get as much value as poss from the consult, consider asking for a skin cancer/mole check at the same time?

The type of laser treatment you're after is really effective but I wouldn't feel comfortable having it done by anyone other than a dermotologist (and there is very little different in cost* compared to having it done by a person without medical quals), even though others may not agree.

Eg - laser treatment at Knightsbridge salon from someone without medical quals was 40% more* expensive than having the same treatment done by a highly experienced private dermotologist outside the M25.

I had a facial mole removed by laser treatment and it was very quick and effective. I would certainly shop around. I went to a private hospital first and they quoted me over £600 for up to 3 moles but I only had one mole.
So I then went to the Skin clinic. I knew in advance who would be carrying out the treatment so could google and check their credentials. Turned out it was a plastic surgeon from a highly regarded childrens hospital so I felt very safe in their hands for a small mole removal. It cost me around £200 and it was the best money I had ever spent as I was very self conscious about the mole.

I had pulse dye laser on thread veins on my nose 10 days ago. It cost £120 for the consultation, and £175 for the treatment (3 "zaps" of the laser). I had mine done by a well thought of plastic surgeon at my local Spire hospital. I could have had it done far more cheaply but was v nervous about anyone messing with my face.

The bruising afterwards was significant (each zap left a bruise about the size of the nail on my little finger, but they were very dark purple - too dark to cover with makeup, and you are not advised to use makeup on the area for 48 hours anyway). By about day 5 they had faded sufficiently to be able to fully cover them with concealer. I had minimal scabbing on one of the bruises. I still have some redness (easily covered with makeup), and was advised that it would take up to 2 weeks for my skin to look "normal". Due to the redness I can't really be sure that it has fully worked, but I'm fairly confident.

It was more or less painless. Happy to answer any more Qs.

Thanks for your replies, they're very helpful.

ClaudiaCutie - do you mind me asking do you which clinic is it that you refer to, and do you recommend it? I'm just outside the M25, so depending on which direction, the dermatologist may be near enough to me.

suebfg - thanks also - I see there's a Skin Clinic near me, it's great to have some options to investigate.

thewarmestowl - did your 3 zaps happen all at once, in different places, or in 3 different sessions? I'm particularly anxious about looking scabby afterwards, and having to go to work with obvious side effects. I was hoping to book treatment to coincide with holidays, so that I could avoid explaining to everyone what I'd been doing.

Did one single treatment remove marks sufficiently well, or does it take several goes?

You all recommend using properly qualified doctors, which sounds sensible. I guess that would rule out clinics at Superdrug and House of Fraser, these clinics were the ones I found earlier when Googling, I expect they're staffed by beauticians rather than medics.

Thanks again, it's very helpful to hear from others.

The 3 zaps were all in one session, 2 right went to each other (so that the bruises merged into one bigger bruise) and one somewhere else. The doctor was hopeful that one treatment would be enough, but said that he couldn't rule out my needing 2. As I still have some redness I can't really be sure that it has fully worked, but I think it has.

I had my treatment on a Friday, and it was probably the next Thursday before I could sufficiently cover if with makeup so that it was unnoticeable. You also need to keep out of the sun for a couple of months (ie high factor sunscreen / hat) so it might be best timed for before summer arrives.

Disappearing - the dermotologist I go to is Dr Russell Emerson in Hove. It's a 60 mile drive for me to reach him but apart from being an excellent private dermotologist and a lovely person, he is very flexible about working on Saturdays. Since I really don't like taking time off work for things like this, I always see him on a Saturday which offsets the hassle of the drive. He attends a lot of conferences on anti-aging and aesthetics and gives great advice and is very objective - he won't push treatments at all, just advises what gives the best result for £ spent. I am a high skin cancer risk so I have to get checked carefully anyway; it just makes sense to have some 'improving' work done at the same time. His prices are very, very reasonable.

I would suggest trying peels to fade the freckling before using lasers. There are quite a few horror stories out there regarding lasers... less so regarding peels.