- A leapord CAN change it's spots, but why would it want to??
I can always tell a golfer or a bicyclist by their hands, and a sailor by his or her ears. I know, I know, it’s a cool party trick, but by mere virtue of the areas exposed to the sun I can guess a person’s hobby pretty quickly. Golfers tend to have age spots on one hand only, whereas bicyclists have both hands equally exposed. People who sail tend to have increased redness to the tops or their ears. That being said, I’m kind of like the mechanic in that the same adage applies, “you can pay me now, or you can pay me later…” when it comes to undoing the sun damage. Never fear, Intense Pulsed light is here!
Intense pulsed light [IPL] is a nonlaser light source that emits a broad, continuous spectrum of light energy. Depending on the filter used, I can target the melanin pigment in the brown spots, or the red pigment in the red blood cells of the broken capillaries. Normally pigmented skin is left unharmed. You come into the office, and the area to be treated is covered in ice-cold ultrasound gel. Then, we give you a cool pair of swim-goggles to wear so that you won’t be tempted to look at the very bright light (I need to see what I’m doing, but you can sit back and relax- no backseat drivers). The procedure doesn’t hurt; it feels like a little rubber-band snap on the skin for a second. A few little rubber-band snaps, then badda-bing, badda-boom, you’re done! The spots will appear a little darker for about two days, but then they will eventually fade to being better than what they were before (the storm before the calm). A few sessions might be required, but hey- it took a lifetime for the spots to form, yea?
IPL is also fantastic for treating rosacea (dilated capillaries and pores, especially around the nose), and melasma (dark spots on the face, usually from pregnancy- God love the little toddlers)! Recent studies have shown that IPL also builds dermal collagen, so it tightens the skin as well (something that my assistant has been asserting for years- always trust a Brazilian when it comes to these things)!
So if the dark spots have got you down, just hop in, get some IPL and get back on the good foot— it can only make you younger again!!
Have a Beautiful Day!
Dr. Lisa
