Age spots, sun spots, liver spots — whatever you call these discolorations, they’re a lasting reminder of time spent in the sun. In fact, exposure to the sun is responsible for about 90% of the visible changes in your skin, including those pesky brown spots.
The good news is that we can use the power of light — intense-pulsed light, or IPL — to combat the after effects of exposure to ultraviolet light and clear away blemishes like sun spots. Combination laser systems are so effective that nearly 3 million treatments, (including IPL, tattoo removal, and others) were administered in the United States in 2020 alone.
Here at Cosmetic Surgery Center, Dr. Trent Fogleman and the team are pleased to offer IPL treatments for sun spots, and we’re equipped with one of the leading laser technologies in this arena — Icon®.
Let’s take a look at how our Icon laser system can make quick work of sun spots.
You spent plenty of time out in the sun when you were a kid, but you didn’t develop discolorations. Well, the reason why these discolorations are simultaneously referred to as sun spots and age spots is because both are influences.
First, darker patches of skin are caused by skin pigment called melanin, which is designed to protect you against the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Over the years, the constant exposure can cause your melanin to cluster and overproduce, creating the spots that have appeared in more exposed areas, such as your face, hands, and forearms.
With our Icon laser system, we send a spectrum of wavelength light pulses into your skin that break apart surface concerns like age spots. These pulses of energy pass harmlessly through the top layer of your skin and target the melanin-containing cells below. The melanin absorbs the light as heat, which disrupts the cell.
After each IPL treatment, your body gradually reabsorbs the debris, and you’re left with clear, blemish-free skin in its wake.
The IPL treatments are quick and easy — usually less than an hour. You may feel some snapping or heat, but there’s no downtime afterward. Depending upon the extent of your sun spots, you might benefit from a series of IPL treatments.
Most of our patients realize gradual results as the body flushes away the age spot(s), with optimal results in about 6 weeks.
Of course, you’d do well to safeguard these results by being vigilant about sun protection. Your IPL treatments are great at removing existing age spots, but they don’t protect you against future discolorations, so cover up and use sunscreen.
If you want to hit the reset button on your sun-damaged skin, please contact our office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to schedule your Icon IPL laser treatments.
