What is the optimal timing for advising patients to wash the treatment areas after laser therapy? A prospective, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND

Despite ongoing advancements in medical aesthetics, there remains a lack of consensus regarding a standardized postoperative care protocol following laser treatment for skin pigmentation disorders.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the influence of postoperative facial cleansing practices on the efficacy and safety of laser therapy among patients diagnosed with pigmentary skin diseases.

METHODS

Thirty patients diagnosed with pigmented lesions (freckles and/or solar lentigines) were randomly allocated to two distinct groups. Following treatment with a 755-nm alexandrite laser, patients in one group were instructed to perform water cleansing, while the other followed a water-avoidance care protocol. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 after treatment and 3 months postoperatively. These visits included taking standardized photographs, performing VISIA imaging assessments, collecting patient satisfaction questionnaires and recording any potential adverse events.

RESULTS

No serious complications were reported in either group. Most patients demonstrated improvement in their lesions to varying degrees with a single treatment session. No statistically significant differences were identified between the two groups in terms of postoperative visual analogue scale scores (P = 0.17). VISIA analysis revealed a significant decrease in brown spot count in both groups at the 3-month follow-up compared with baseline, with no significant differences between groups (P = 0.99). The average score of patients' satisfaction in the water-cleansing group was significantly higher than that in the water-avoidance group (P = 0.039).

CONCLUSIONS

Our studies have demonstrated that laser treatment of epidermal hyperpigmentation disorders without strict water avoidance can have equally good results with no added adverse effects.