Laser for dark spots and acne marks: what to expect

It happens more than you'd think. Someone comes in with a dark spot on their cheekbone that's been there for years, has a laser session on Thursday, and by Saturday is lying by a hotel pool in Acapulco without a hat. Three weeks later the spot is the same or darker, and the verdict is that laser doesn't work.

Laser does work. What doesn't work is treating it like an eraser you run over once. This guide explains what our two facial laser treatments do, how many sessions to expect, and what your part is between them.

Two treatments, two goals

Both use an Nd:YAG laser, but they're after different things.

Piel perfecta (Perfect skin) targets specific marks: sun spots, freckles that have darkened, the red or brown marks acne leaves behind, and small visible veins. We work mark by mark, finish with active serums or a mask, and the session runs 20 to 40 minutes depending on the area.

Hollywood Peel is broader. A carbon mask goes on your face and the laser lifts it off. It clears pores, has an antibacterial effect, evens out tone and leaves your skin glowing the same day. It won't remove one particular spot; it improves texture and radiance across the whole face.

If your problem is “this spot”, you want Piel perfecta. If it's “my skin looks tired, my pores are open and my tone is uneven”, you want Hollywood Peel. The consultation is free, and we'll decide it with you in front of us.

How many sessions, honestly

Piel perfecta is done every 3 to 4 weeks, up to 6 sessions. That gap isn't arbitrary: it's how long your skin takes to clear the pigment the laser has broken up and to renew itself. Booking the next session sooner doesn't speed anything up. It just irritates.

• A small, well-defined freckle or sun spot often fades a lot in 1 to 3 sessions.
• Acne marks and larger patches usually need 3 to 6.
• Marks with texture — pitted or sunken scars — improve in colour, but this treatment won't level them out. We'll tell you so at the consultation.

Hollywood Peel works two ways. As a course of treatment, 4 to 6 sessions. As prep for an event, just one, ideally two to five days before: smooth skin, and no redness that shows up in photos.

The two weeks before

Tanned skin absorbs more of the laser's energy. That raises the risk of irritation, and of a new dark mark appearing right where you wanted to lose an old one. So:

• No direct sun and no self-tanner for 2 weeks beforehand.
• Stop retinol, glycolic acid, salicylic acid and scrubs 5 to 7 days before.
• If you've taken isotretinoin (the prescription drug for severe acne) in the last 6 months, tell us. We'll wait.
• Some antibiotics, like doxycycline, and other medications make skin sensitive to light. Bring a list of what you take.
• No waxing or peels on your face that week.

Come with a clean face and no makeup. If you're coming straight from work, we'll take it off for you.

What it feels like

Piel perfecta feels like quick snaps of a warm rubber band on the spot. Uncomfortable, not unbearable, and each pulse lasts a fraction of a second. Hollywood Peel is gentler: mild warmth and a smell of carbon that will surprise you more than the sensation does.

You'll wear eye protection for the whole session. Keep it on, however curious you get.

The week after

This is where the treatment is won or lost.

After Piel perfecta, the area stays pink for a few hours. Over the next days the treated spots get darker — sometimes noticeably — and form a very thin crust that falls off by itself between day 5 and day 10. That's the treatment working: the pigment is on its way out. Don't scratch it, pick it or scrub it. Take it off early and you can end up with a mark.

That week:

• Wash with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser. Don't rub.
• Use a plain moisturiser, no acids and no fragrance.
• No sauna, steam, jacuzzi or hard exercise for 48 hours. Heat keeps the inflammation going.
• Makeup is fine from the next day, as long as the skin isn't broken.

Hollywood Peel leaves no crust and needs no downtime. You can wear makeup the same day.

Sunscreen isn't optional

For the whole course of treatment — not just the day of each session — you need SPF 50 every 4 hours. In Mexico City this matters more than it seems: because of the altitude, the UV index regularly goes above 10, even when it's cloudy.

Every 4 hours means the sunscreen you put on at 8 a.m. is no longer protecting you by lunch. If you work outdoors or drive a lot, add a wide-brimmed hat. Sun through a car window counts too.

If you can't commit to that — say, you're heading to the beach in three weeks — postpone the treatment. We mean it. Laser followed by sun leaves a spot worse than doing nothing.

When it's not for you, or not yet

Melasma. These are the patches on the cheeks, forehead and upper lip that often appear with pregnancy or the pill. Melasma behaves differently: heat can reactivate it and make it darker. We won't treat it with Piel perfecta until a dermatologist has seen it.

A mole that has changed. If a spot has grown, changed colour, has an irregular edge, bleeds or itches, it's not a laser job. It's a dermatologist job, this week. We will never laser a mark we can't identify.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding. We wait.

Active inflamed acne, open skin, a cold sore or an infection in the area. That gets sorted first.

What it costs

Piel perfecta is $1,100 MXN per session, $2,950 for a pack of 3 and $5,250 for a pack of 6. Hollywood Peel is $1,200 MXN per session, $3,200 for 3 and $5,750 for 6.

If you're doing the full course, the pack of 6 brings Piel perfecta down to $875 a session. If you don't yet know how your skin will respond, start with 3.

The consultation is free. We'll tell you how many sessions we think you need, not how many you should buy.