Age spots, often referred interchangeably as “sun spots”, can prematurely age one’s facial appearance. But sun spots should ideally be reserved for precancerous spots while age spots are dark spots that pose more of an esthetic problem. Sun spots require diagnosis by a dermatologist and immediate medical treatment. If you are not sure if the spots you have are age or sun spots, you must see a dermatologist to get a proper diagnosis. This El Segundo, Los Angeles patient struggled with age spots on her face and saw Dr umar about it who confirmed that what she has are indeed benign age spots. In addition to the obvious dark age spots, the patient was concerned about wrinkles, poor skin texture and loss of glow. She wanted treatment for face and neck dark spots, so she consulted Dr. U about her options. Dr. U recommended laser treatment with the Fraxel Dual and Spectra lasers to treat age spots on face.
Fraxel Dual Laser and Spectra Laser treatment of wrinkles and Age Spots
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Age Spots Pictures Before Photos:
Coming from El Segundo, the patient wanted treatment wanted these concerns addressed on her face and neck areas, as well as, the dry patches on her forehead and cheeks. There was also an unevenness in her skin tone, which had lost its glow and youthfulness because of age spots on face.
Skin color pigmentation (known as melanin) protects the skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays. When people age, the UV rays are able to penetrate deeper, because the skin loses its ability to protects people from the sun’s harsh rays that cause age spots on face.
Long periods of exposure to the sun will force the melanin to secrete in spurts. This process is the body’s self-defense mechanism against marks. Sun spots build up due to the declining number of basel cells. Declining cells with lipofuscin cannot be removed and rapidly mature, promoting waning around the neighboring cells, causing them to age as well. These cells will mutate and aggregate, causing age spots on face.
There are two type of age spots: Lentigines, which are freckle looking marks that are flat in appearance, and Seborrheic Keratoses, which are raised black marks that look like barnacles.
How to Get Rid of Age Spots Procedure Photos:
In order to effectively get rid of brown spots on this El Segundo patient, Dr. U used two different types of lasers – the Fraxel Dual and Spectra lasers. Both lasers are known for their safety for all skin types, including darker tones of ethnic patients.
The Fraxel Dual laser has two wavelength settings, one at 1550 nm and the other at 1927nm. The Spectra laser treatment, on the other hand, uses a wavelength of 1064 nm. The Spectra laser is ideal for any type of skin, while Fraxel Dual is well suited for darker skin. In fact, the Spectra laser is noted in particular for its effectiveness in targeting pigmented lesions like age spots. The combined laser therapy treatment was able to target the darker pigments of the age spots on face of the patient in deeper layers of the skin. The body then naturally carries out the broken-down pigment.
The results of this treatment can be seen in the before and after age spots treatment pictures below.
Age Spots Treatment Before and After Results Photos:
Dr. U only had to use one Fraxel Dual laser and Spectra laser treatment on the patient from El Segundo. After 4 weeks, the changes were evident. She had a fresher look to her skin, which was smoother with a more youthful appearance. The dry patches on her forehead and cheeks were gone. No more age spots on face.
The sun damage and the deep marks on her neck were minimalized. There was no demarcation to the skin — it was even and it got it’s glow back. The patient does not use makeup, but even people who do will benefit, because there will be less application time due to the fact there is less to hide and fix. Many entertainment industry celebrities have found this treatment helpful not to mention their make up people who can do a good job of getting their clients camera ready with less effort.
Video: How to Get Rid of Age Spots
Watch the video below to see how the patient from El Segundo found a solution for her brown age spots on her face and neck at Dr. U’s Skin Clinic in Los Angeles.
Fraxel Dual Laser and Spectra Laser treatment of wrinkles and Age Spots
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Use the button below to consult Dr. U today about treating age spots on face and neck areas.
Frequently Asked Questions – Age Spots on Face
What DIY guide can I follow on how to get rid of age spots?
While many have noted the potential for apple cider vinegar as a natural option for age spot treatment, due to its composition of alpha hydroxy acid, known for helping to lighten age and sun spots, DIY home remedies are not guaranteed to work to get rid of age spots.
What is the best age spot remover?
According to several dermatologists, laser therapy is one of the best-known age spot remover treatments. The type of laser used, however, varies according to the patient’s skin characteristics, as some lasers are more suited for certain skin types than others. A trained dermatologist can help you choose the right laser treatment for your particular skin type.
How does a topical age spots treatment differ from a laser treatment?
Topical creams such as Hydroquinone block tyrosinase, an enzyme that helps produce melanin. melanin is the substance that gives us our skin color and at the root of dark spots. However, if the cause of the dark spots is not addressed, the fix by hydroquinone is at best temporary. According to Dr U, misuse or overuse of hydroquinone is fraught with dangers including a condition called ochronosis which is an untreatable greenish hue darkening of the skin.
Spectra laser treatment uses llaser energy to break down pigment. Once that pigment is broken down, it is carried out by the body. Fraxel Dual laser on the other hand removes the cells containing the pigments by gentle resurfacing
In layman’s terms: Topical creams mask the problem while lasers like fraxel remove the problem. Topical creams are generally slower, while lasers are typically faster and more effective.
Have more questions about getting rid of age spots on the face? Use the button below to ask Dr. U.
Further Reading:
See how this Beverly Hills Patient benefited from just one session of laser skin resurfacing.
Learn what causes grey-brown melasma spots on the face, and how to treat them.
