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TREATING AGE SPOTS AND SUN DAMAGED SKIN.
Everything you need to know
Pigmented lesions are brown marks on the skin, e.g. age spots or liver spots on hands and face. Although they are not harmful and nothing to be worried about, many people wish to have them removed for cosmetic reasons. Stratum Clinics offer simple and effective treatments to combat sun damaged skin, including age spits, sun spots, liver spots, freckles and melasma to improve the look of your skin and get your confidence back.
Age spot and pigmentation treatments include:
- Laser
- Intense pulsed light (IPL)
- Microdermabrasion
- Chemical Peels
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HOW ARE AGE SPOTS TREATED?
There are a number of ways that age spots can be treated and their appearance improved. Laser and IPL systems are commonly used and microdermabrasion and chemical peels can also be effective. The appropriate treatment for you will be assessed at the initial consultation to ensure you get the appropriate treatment for you. Treatments usually take between 15 and 30 minutes and can be described as feeling like a ‘warm elastic band snapping against the skin’.
Laser
Liver spots, age spots, benign lentigos and freckles can usually be treated and removed in just one laser session. The light from the laser penetrates the tissue and is absorbed by either the blood when treating vascular lesions or the melanin when treating pigmented lesions, damaging them. The body’s natural healing processes then removes the injured, pigmented tissue giving the skin a more even and youthful appearance.
IPL
Similarly to laser treatment for age spots, pigmentation can also be treated using IPL (intense pulsed laser). If you opt for IPL treatment a course of treatment is the most effective method to reduce the appearance of age spots. IPL works in a very similar way to laser treatment, the key difference being the type of light that is used, with IPL using a broadband pulsed light source opposed to a more selective light source used by lasers.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a skin exfoliating treatment which can be used to treat age spots and improve the appearance of the skin. It reduces the appearance of pigmented lesions by gently removing the outer layer of skin using tiny crystals, leaving the skin looking softer, brighter and stimulating new cell growth. It is a safe and effective procedure which is suitable for both men and women of all skin types. Each treatment takes approximately 45 minutes and a course of treatments is usually recommended.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels are commonly used to improve the appearance of skin on the face and the hands by gently applying a chemical solution to remove the outer layers of the surface of the skin, making way for new, healthy skin to shine through. As the new skin develops, a new band of collagen in the dermis will grow along with a thicker epidermis and the skin will forget the blemishes that were there before. There are varying depths of chemical peels available depending on how severe the hyperpigmentation is.
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Arrange a consultation with one of our expert dermatologists today.
WHERE CAN I GET MY AGE SPOTS TREATED?
We offer age spot and pigmentation treatment in all three of our Stratum Dermatology Clinics. Find out more about these clinics below.
WHY TREAT YOUR AGE SPOTS AT STRATUM DERMATOLOGY CLINICS?
We understand that age spots and pigmented lesions can be a cause for embarrassment and cause a lacking of self confidence. During your consultation at Stratum Dermatology Clinics, your areas of concerns will be assessed by a consultant dermatologist and all suitable treatment options will be discussed with you.
We work with leading experts in the field of dermatology to ensure you have the best experience and treatment. Stratum Dermatology Clinics are regulated by the Care Quality Commission, are part of the British Association of Dermatologists and are top rated by patients on Doctify so you can assure safe and effective acne treatment with us. Both Stratum Dermatology Clinics and the consultants who work here are recognised by the main healthcare insurance providers.
HEAR FROM ONE OF OUR RECENT PATIENTS
I have had two procedures done over 2 months. The whole team from reception, pa’s, nurses and of course the doctors were excellent, very personable, friendly and efficient. I would definitely recommend this clinic based on my visits.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are lasers and IPLs and how do they work?
A laser is a high energy beam of light that can precisely transfer this energy into certain tissues within the skin. These beams of light are produced in one wavelength at a time and can vary in terms of their strength and the type of tissue that they can target.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) systems differ from lasers in that they can deliver hundreds of wavelengths (or colours) in each burst of light. Certain filters are used to filter out the unwanted wavelengths, so that they work in a similar way to lasers causing heat damage to the particular skin problem.
The process of directing a laser or IPL source to a target area in the skin is technically known as “selective photothermolysis”.
The appropriate use of either lasers or IPL will be assessed at the consultation.
Can a pigmented lesion be removed in one treatment session?
There are certain lesions that can be treated in just one session, and these include the commonly called liver or age spots, benign lentigo and freckles. However, for lesions with deeper lying pigment, multiple treatment sessions may be necessary e.g. pigmented birthmarks, such as café-au-lait spots.
How often are treatments carried out?
Laser treatments are usually scheduled at 6-8 week intervals, but often just one session is sufficient, depending on your individual response. IPL treatments may be repeated every 3-4 weeks for a course of 4 sessions.
What is the treatment like?
You may experience a warm, stinging sensation in the area treated during the procedure. It can be described as feeling like a ‘warm elastic band snapping against the skin’. The treatment usually takes between 15 to 30 minutes.
Are there any side effects of the treatment?
Immediately after treatment, the treated area becomes darker, crusts and peels off over for a period of one to two weeks, leaving a pinkish area of new skin lasting several more weeks. Significant fading can continue for up to 6 months after treatment in some cases.
Maintaining the results
We recommend daily use of a broad-spectrum UVA and UVB sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30, as an effective way to protect the skin from future sun damage (photodamage).
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