SUN DAMAGE AND BROWN PIGMENTATION
Advanced Fluorescence Technology or
Intense Pulsed Light
Sun exposure takes its toll over time, even for patients who don’t tan on a regular basis. Chronic sun damage causes irregular brown and red discolorations of the skin. These sun spots and broken capillaries contribute to the appearance of older looking skin.
Many patients with sun damaged skin respond well to photorejuvenation with Intense Pulsed Light treatment. The goal is primarily to improve the color changes associated with sun damage although it also helps to correct enlarged pores and gives the skin a more youthful brightness. This treatment goes under the names of IPL, Photo Facial, Pulsed Light Therapy and more recently AFT or Advanced Fluorescence Technology.
Intense Pulsed Light targets the melanin and hemoglobin in the surface of the skin.
| • | Melanin is found in "brown spots." |
| • | Hemoglobin is a main component of red blood cells, which travel through "broken capillaries" or "red spots." |
When IPL is used to treat damaged skin, it heats melanin in the “brown spots”, and the pigment-containing cells darken, then rise to the surface and flake off in about 10 days or less. The red blood cells are heated, touch the sides of the red capillaries, and heat-seal these blood vessels. The blood vessels are deeper, more complex structures than the brown spots, and can take several weeks to resolve completely.
The process is called Selective Photo - Thermo- Lysis
| • | Selective because it targets the unwanted color-chromophore; |
| • | Photo because it uses light energy to heat up (Thermo) the color; |
| • | So that the heat damages or destroys (Lysis) the structure holding the color or chromophore |
Those with darker skin types or recently tanned must proceed with caution. The darker the surrounding skin and the more melanin it has, the more targets an IPL sees. The result can be pain, burning, or darker pigmentation after treatment.
A series of treatments are usually required depending on the degree of skin damage. Since we continue to age and be exposed to the sun these discolorations can return over time. Wearing a quality zinc or titanium based sunscreen with an SPF of 30 and limiting your sun exposure can minimize this process. Other procedures which may be suggested for skin tones problems include chemical peels, microdermabrasion and topical products. Advanced Fluorescence Technology is a part of our Laser 360™ protocol.