Plasma Pen Lesion Removal: Treatment Advice & Aftercare
Updated: Oct 5
Important: Plasma treatment can cause temporary or permanent changes in skin colour. This risk is greater in clients who are prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and in darker skin tones.
Before & After Your Lesion Removal Treatment
Plasma Pen can be used to remove or reduce the appearance of selected benign skin lesions. The device creates a controlled plasma arc at the surface of the skin, allowing the practitioner to precisely treat the lesion without making an incision.
Following treatment, the area normally develops a small crust or scab while the skin underneath heals. Correct aftercare is important to reduce the risk of infection, scarring and changes in pigmentation.
Before Your Treatment
Before your appointment:
Avoid tanning and sunbeds before treatment.
Do not apply fake tan to the treatment area.
Avoid irritating skincare, strong exfoliants or retinoids directly over the area for a few days beforehand.
Do not pick, scratch or deliberately irritate the lesion.
Tell us about all medication, supplements and herbal remedies you take.
Let us know if you have a history of poor wound healing, abnormal scarring or pigmentation problems.
Tell us if your health, medication or the lesion itself has changed since your consultation.
The skin should be healthy and free from active infection on the day of treatment.
Which Lesions Can Be Treated?
Plasma Pen is suitable only for appropriately assessed benign lesions.
Depending on your practitioner's training, insurance and treatment protocol, this may include selected lesions such as skin tags and other benign superficial lesions.
We will not treat a lesion if there is any doubt about what it is.
A lesion should be medically assessed before cosmetic treatment if it:
has recently appeared or changed
has changed in size, shape or colour
has irregular borders or several colours
repeatedly bleeds, crusts or fails to heal
is painful or persistently itchy
looks significantly different from your other moles or lesions
cannot be confidently identified as suitable for cosmetic treatment.
If we are unsure about a lesion, we may recommend assessment by your GP or a dermatologist before treatment.
Moles
Moles require particular care. We do not remove suspicious or undiagnosed pigmented lesions. Where appropriate, medical assessment may be required before treatment.
Is Plasma Lesion Removal Suitable for Everyone?
Please tell your practitioner if you:
are pregnant or breastfeeding
have an active infection or inflammation in the treatment area
have a condition that affects wound healing
have diabetes, particularly if healing is impaired
have a weakened immune system or take immunosuppressive medication
have a history of keloid or abnormal scarring
have a bleeding or clotting disorder
take anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication
have a history of significant post-inflammatory pigmentation
are currently undergoing cancer treatment or have a significant medical condition
have recently had another procedure in the treatment area.
These don't necessarily all mean that treatment is impossible; some require individual assessment or may mean another treatment is more appropriate.
Do not stop prescribed medication for treatment unless the healthcare professional who prescribed it has advised you to do so.
What to Expect During Treatment
The area is cleansed and prepared before treatment.
You may feel heat, a stinging sensation or brief discomfort as the lesion is treated.
Depending on the size and type of lesion, more than one treatment may occasionally be required.
What to Expect Afterwards
Immediately afterwards, the treated area may be:
red
slightly swollen
tender or sensitive
darker than the surrounding skin.
A small crust or scab will usually form over the treated area.
This is an important part of the natural healing process and should be allowed to come away by itself.
The healing time varies depending on the lesion, treatment depth, area of the body and individual healing response.
Aftercare
Keep the Area Clean & Dry
Follow the specific instructions given by your practitioner for cleansing the area.
Avoid excessive rubbing and don't repeatedly touch the treated area with your fingers.
Do Not Pick the Crust
Do not pick, scratch or deliberately remove the crust/scab.
Removing it prematurely can delay healing and increase the risk of infection, scarring and pigmentation changes.
Allow it to detach naturally.
Avoid Irritating Products
Until the area has healed, avoid applying:
retinoids
exfoliating acids
scrubs
perfumed products
other potentially irritating skincare.
Don't wax, exfoliate or have another advanced treatment directly over the area until it has completely healed.
Makeup
Avoid applying makeup directly over the treated area while the surface is open or crusted.
Once the skin surface has healed, makeup can normally be resumed.
Sun Protection Is Particularly Important
Freshly healed skin can be more vulnerable to pigmentation changes.
Once appropriate for the healing stage, protect exposed treated areas with a broad-spectrum SPF 30–50 and avoid deliberate tanning.
Continue careful sun protection after the crust has fallen away while the new skin settles.
What Happens When the Crust Falls Off?
The new skin underneath may initially look pink, red or lighter/darker than the surrounding skin.
Don't assume this is the final result.
The colour generally continues to settle as the skin heals, although pigmentation changes can occasionally persist.
When Should I Contact Eco Skin Clinic?
Please contact us if:
redness is spreading rather than settling
swelling or pain is becoming worse
the area becomes increasingly hot
you notice pus, discharge or another sign of infection
bleeding doesn't stop
the area isn't healing as expected
you develop significant pigmentation changes
you are concerned about the treated area.
Seek medical advice for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.
One section I'd definitely add to this particular page
I'd use a pale sage warning/info box near the top:
Has your lesion changed? Cosmetic lesion removal is only suitable for lesions that have been appropriately assessed. If a lesion is new, changing, bleeding, repeatedly crusting or looks different from your other lesions, please arrange appropriate medical assessment before cosmetic treatment.
Skin Colour Changes & Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Once the crust has naturally fallen away, the new skin underneath may initially appear pink, red, lighter or darker than the surrounding skin. This does not necessarily represent the final result and the colour can continue to change as the skin heals.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) can occur following plasma treatment. This is where the healing response causes the treated area to become darker than the surrounding skin.
PIH can occur in any skin type but is more common and may be more noticeable or persistent in darker skin tones.
For some clients, pigmentation may take several months to gradually settle occasionally up to six months or longer. In some cases, a difference in skin colour may be long-lasting or permanent.
Less commonly, hypopigmentation can occur, where the treated area becomes lighter than the surrounding skin. This can also be persistent or permanent.
For this reason, your practitioner will assess your skin type, pigmentation history and the lesion being treated before recommending plasma treatment. In some cases, we may advise that the risk of pigmentation change is too high and recommend an alternative treatment or no treatment.
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