What causes hypopigmentation (white spots) and hyperpigmentation (dark spots) after laser hair removal, and how can they be treated?

These discolorations are usually caused by incorrect dose selection that doesn’t match the skin tone or by a lack of post-treatment skin protection. Hyperpigmentation is the formation of dark spots due to the laser heat overstimulating melanocyte cells; hypopigmentation is when the heat completely destroys the melanocytes, preventing the skin in that area from producing pigment (leaving it white). While dark spots usually improve over time with lightening creams and sunscreens, white spots (hypopigmentation) caused by cell death are much more difficult to reverse and require a much longer period of skin regeneration.