Freckles, Sun & Age Spots Removal

Cosmeti Laser Treatments - IPL Photorejuvenation - Laser Resurfacing

LASER PHOTOFACIAL TREATMENT GALLERY. click here...

Sun spots, age spots, and wrinkles, often attributed to aging, are in fact secondary to sun damage. With an average of 300 sunny days a year in Southern California, it's difficult to avoid the intense sun rays at all times and prevent the formation of the ensuing bothersome symptoms on our bodies. Freckles, on the other hand, also caused by sun damage, are rarely attributed to aging—we all have seen freckles on the faces of children, sometimes as young as age 1 or 2.

What are Freckles?

Freckles (also known as ephelides) are multiple, flat, circular spots which develop over sun-exposed surfaces, particularly the cheeks, nose, upper shoulders, and arm. The spots develop due to an increase in the amount of melanin, a dark pigment, in cells called melanocytes. Freckles are always darker than the surrounding skin and may be red, yellow, light brown or dark brown. They are prominent in summer but fade considerably or disappear in winter. Fair-skinned people, especially those with red hair, have an inherited predisposition for them. The prominence of freckles is related to sun exposure—sunburn makes them bigger and darker. Freckles caused by sunburn have irregular jagged borders and commonly appear on the upper back and shoulders where people get their most severe sunburns. There is no permanent cure for freckles; however, several safe and effective methods are available to help lighten or reduce their appearance. Sun avoidance and sun protection may help to suppress their appearance.

IPL PHOTOFACIAL TREATMENT FOR FRECKLES

What are Sun Spots and Age Spots?

Sun spots, also known as age spots or liver spots are harmless, large, flat, gray, brown, freckle-like circular spots, often with irregular borders. They vary in size from as small as a pea to as large as a nickel. Unlike freckles, these spots tend to persist and do not fade and darken with the seasons. Sun spots are common in those with fair skin but are frequently seen in those who tan easily or have naturally dark skin. Although these spots appear on the skin of older adults, age spots, or liver spots have little to do with aging or the liver. They develop slowly over time and get bigger as our skin produces excess melanin (pigment) in response to overexposure to sunlight. It is for this reason that these spots usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms—areas of the body most exposed to the sun. Accordingly, the prevention of age spots requires sun avoidance and sun protection. Sun spots are harmless and do not need to be treated; however, many people seek treatment because they believe these spots can detract from their skin's appearance, making them look older. Although age spots do not change into cancerous growths, some skin cancers may resemble these spots. Accordingly, anyone who has one or more uncertain pigmented spot should report them to a physician or dermatologist for evaluation.

SUN AND AGE SPOTS TREATED USING IPL PHOTOREJUVENATION

What are the Sun Spots and Freckles Treatment Options at Nu Vela?

Traditional treatments for sun spots and freckles, such as topical bleaching agents and medications, often produce only temporary results. In contrast, Nu Vela Esthetica uses several effective and long-lasting therapies to get rid of unwanted sun damage. The minimally invasive photorejuvenation light and laser technologies available at the Center are specially designed to permanently eliminate your undesirable age spots and freckles, and will even eliminate any small facial veins and superficial or moderately deep wrinkles (only laser resurfacing). The cosmetic procedures designed to reduce or eliminate the appearance of redness and age or sun spots available at Nu Vela are as follows:

• Chemical peel: Safely uses one of the chemicals intended for skin peeling, from superficial to medium depth, to get rid of the undesirable spots. As the damaged skin peels, new skin forms to take its place. Superficial chemical peels require several treatments to achieve good results. Read more . . .
• Microdermabrasion: Consists of sanding down the surface layer of the skin carrying the spots with a rapidly rotating head containing microcrystals. A new layer of skin grows and takes the place of abraded skin. Read more . . .
• Photorejuvenation with Sciton's BBL™ and Cutera's Solar Genesis systems: Photorejuvenation therapy, also known as photofacials, is performed with a light technology known as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). The IPL technology utilizes the power of pulsed light to deliver excellent phototherapy results. The IPL system works much like a laser, but instead of having just one wavelength of light, the machine produces a spectrum of light made up of a range of wavelengths. By selecting an appropriate filter, your doctor will select the wavelength range to treat the damage caused by skin aging and sun exposure. Photorejuvenation treatments are non-ablative treatments requiring minimum downtime. These treatments are capable of altering the targeted skin component while leaving the surrounding tissue healthy and intact. Because of the gentle nature of these therapies, complete removal of pigmented spots typically requires several sessions.
• Laser resurfacing with Sciton's Contour TRL™ laser: Laser resurfacing; is an ablative laser modality that removes most age spots, age related discoloration, and wrinkles, by completely "burning" off superficial skin layers in just one session. Because of its amazing effectiveness and depth of treatment; however, laser resurfacing is more painful and usually requires a week or more of recovery time.

All procedures, whether laser or non-laser, are personally performed by Dr. R. Dishakjian, a board certified physician, and cosmetic surgeon. During your consultation, Dr. Dishakjian will observe your skin tone to tailor a treatment that fits your lifestyle and matches your skin’s condition and your desired results.

PHOTO REJUVENATION BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS

Photorejuvenation - Sciton's BBL™ Technology

The Sciton's BBL™s Skin Rejuvenation system, used at the Center, is the most advanced and effective IPL technology on the market. Photothermal energy delivered by the BBL™ handpiece will gently heat up the upper layers of your skin and target the melanin pigment responsible for the color of freckles and sun or age spots. Heat absorbed by the targeted areas will stimulate your skin cells to generate new collagen helping restore your skin to its natural appearance, fading the pigmented spots, blending the skin's natural colors and making it smoother, vibrant and younger looking.

A photofacial treatment starts by putting special glasses you are provided with. The doctor then applies a cooling gel on the skin, and directs the pulses of light, produced by the BBL™ handpiece, to your skin. You may feel a very slight sting, like the snapping of a small rubber band, which will soon subside. Any area of your body can be treated, and typically, two to five treatments, about 1 month apart, will produce the desired results. Treatments usually take 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the treatment area. You can see some improvement with each treatment, but it's common for your response to be slightly different to each treatment. The procedure is non-invasive and gentle with virtually no down time. You may even apply foundation or concealer immediately after treatment.

Photorejuvenation - Cutera's Solar Genesis Technology

Solar Genesis is a pulsed light system that is exceptionally effective at treating undesired pigment discoloration. It is an innovative skin therapy to quickly, safely and comfortably remove freckles and sun or age spots from your face, chest, arms and hands. The treatment, which takes less than thirty minutes, delivers visible light which is selectively absorbed by the pigmented spots on your skin.

With Solar Genesis there is no need to apply topical anesthetic or gel before the procedure. Immediately following the treatment, freckles and the sun spots may start to darken and you may notice a slight reddening of the surrounding skin. This typically subsides within a couple of hours. Over the course of the next one to three weeks, the darkened sun and age spots will fade and flake off.

SUN AND AGE SPOTS TREATED USING IPL PHOTOREJUVENATION

Laser Resurfacing - Sciton's Contour TRL™ technology

Your doctor may choose laser resurfacing to treat your sun spots or freckles, in case you also struggle with other unsightly facial conditions, such as superficial to moderately deep wrinkles, loss of skin elasticity, and visible veins. Laser resurfacing drastically improves the appearance of facial skin and the results are maintained for years to come.

There are two types of resurfacing lasers in common use: Erbium:YAG and carbon dioxide, CO₂. Although the general principles of resurfacing with these lasers are similar, there are significant differences between them. Resurfacing with Erbium:YAG laser, for example, is substantially safer, hypo-pigmentation or hyper-pigmentation is less likely, and the procedure is less painful than that of the CO₂ laser.

The Erbium:YAG laser is similar to the CO₂ laser in that it targets water in the skin. Because water is everywhere in the skin, these lasers will virtually vaporize and remove a uniform depth of skin with each pulse or pass. The special properties of the Erbium:YAG laser are due to its wavelength in the infrared region, at 2940 nm. At this wavelength, water absorbs over ten times as much energy as it does at the wavelength of the CO₂ laser, 10,600 nm. This means that nearly all of the laser energy is consumed by heating water, thus vaporizing tissue, and very little energy is left to scatter into the skin and produce nonspecific heating. The lack of nonspecific heating from the Erbium:YAG laser offers several advantages for laser resurfacing. These include less pain, 30-50% faster healing than with CO₂ laser resurfacing, and less redness of the skin after healing. It is for these reasons that Dr. Dishakjian of the Center has chosen the Erbium:YAG for laser resurfacing purpose.

LASER RESURFACING BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS

The state-of-the-art Erbium:YAG laser for laser resurfacing used at Nu Vela is the Contour TRL™, manufactures by Sciton technology. This laser is designed to deliver its energy at specific depths, from very superficial (10 microns) to very deep (300 microns ). When used for microlaser peels, the chosen range is between 10 and 60 microns. Typically, the procedure is repeated 2-4 times, spaced 4-6 weeks apart. The Erbium:YAG laser is extremely efficient in removing not only freckles, and sun or age spots, but also wrinkles and lines caused by sun damage and facial expressions, acne, acne scars, some folds and creases around the nose and mouth, and even precancerous and benign superficial growths. In a sense, this laser procedure creates a fresh surface over which new skin can grow.

Patients treated with an Erbium laser feel only mild discomfort during treatment and usually require only a topical/local anesthesia. Erbium patients also enjoy the tremendous benefits of healing within only a matter of days to a few weeks, A healing period always follows resurfacing during which you should strictly follow the detailed skin care instructions provided by your physician. Superficial skin layers grow back to replace the layers that were removed. Swelling, itching, redness, crusting, and tenderness, which may last for several days, are temporary effects of laser resurfacing. Camouflage makeup can conceal the redness until the healing is complete. In the early weeks and months following treatment, your skin will be very susceptible to sun damage. Accordingly, you should always wear sunscreen and avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.

Questions About Cost or a Treatment?

You may reach our Los Angeles medical spa and clinic by clicking the "Contact us" button at the top of the page, or by calling 818-832-4500. Our receptionist will be delighted to assist you with any enquiries regarding cost, additional information, or scheduling a free consultation session with Dr. Dishakjian, a cosmetic surgeon and phlebologist.