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

Abstract

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.