Spa 35 Med Spa

Age Spot and Red Skin Solutions.

Services and Products to Reduce the Signs of Sun Damage

Too much sun exposure and time show themselves on our skin as brown and red discoloration. Learn how to slow these signs of aging and remove discoloration from your skin.

“What all beautiful women today have in common is an obvious look of health” – Andrea Robinson, editor of Vouge.

In today’s social media interconnected world (with cultural norms that increasing include sharing images and video on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook) having healthy looking skin is increasingly important. If you’ve thought about using a photo filter on your selfies and social media post this guide to age spot removal might have just the right tips to help you look and feel your best.

We perceive skin with an even, uniform color as healthy, young and vibrant. But as we have extended our lifetimes, moved toward southern latitudes and adopted outdoor recreational activities our repetitive sun exposure damages our skin. This may mean you end up with skin full of age spots, red discoloration and small red and blue blood vessels.

Sun Exposure causes a few types of hyperpigmentation, including;

Age spots and brown discoloration (a.k.a. hyperpigmentation, solar lentigo) are the result of sun damage to specialized skin cells called melanocytes that continue to create melanin longer than normal. These cells create melanin to protect our skin cells from ultraviolet radiation damage, but excessive sun exposure puts them into a “always on” state. This creates an accumulation of brown material on the skin surface, an age spot.

Potential Treatments (and prevention) for age spots and red discoloration;

Here’s Why You Should Visit the Team at Boise’s Best Med Spa!

Red discoloration of the skin - Another potential impact of excessive sun exposure

Red skin discoloration is caused by light reflecting off blood near the skin surface. This usually is caused by a blood vessel damage from the combination of sun exposure, temperature swings, inflammation, microbes, lifestyle choices, genetics, alcohol consumption and overall health.

Damaged blood vessels walls may expand, resulting in a larger vessel. Or the vessel walls may lose their ability to contain the blood and slowly leak fluid into the surrounding tissues.

“Be Good To Your Skin. You’ll Wear It Every Day For The Rest Of Your Life”. – Renee Rouleau

Age spot - solar lentigo

Small individual circles of darker brown pigment caused by sun damage. These non-cancerous areas are caused by sun damage to the skin cells that produce melanin to protect our tissues from ultraviolet radiation damage.

Melasma - Pregnancy mask

Brown discoloration of the cheeks and jawline that often begins during pregnancy. This brown hyper-pigmentation has a hormonal component and required unique treatment plans, different than solar lentigos. Hormones and heat both create this excessive production of melanin. In some cases the hormones in birth control pills can be a root cause of Melasma.

Skin Cancers

Skin cancers should only be treated by a medical provider who has the capabilities to properly diagnosis and treat cancerous spots. Medical Spa services at Spa 35 will NOT remove skin cancer.

“The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides” -Audry Hepburn

Age spot removal and prevention:

Lifestyle changes

Limiting time in the sun, particularly during the mid day, is the best way to reduce age spots and other skin damage. Hats, long sleeve shirts and long pants are helpful in preventing sun damage. Face, eyes, neck, chest, hands and knees are frequently the body areas most exposed to the sun. Therefore pay special attention to protecting these areas from the sun. Golf, tennis, hiking and other activities require pre-planning to limit sun exposure though selecting proper clothing, sunscreen and timing.

Sunscreen - with Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide

Don’t count on SPF in your cosmetics to protect your eyes from ultraviolet radiation damage. Apply a high-quality sunscreen every morning to your face, with a focus on the tissues under the eyes on the Crow’s feet area. The best sunscreens contain a physical energy block, such as titanium dioxide or zinc, they’ll be listed on the label

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) for Brown and Red discoloration

A foundational treatment for benign brown discoloration of the skin. This bright light (technically not a laser) destroys darker colored spots, leaving the surrounding lighter colored cells undamaged. It is also a great treatment for red skin with blood vessels that are not distinguishable, or extremely fine. IPL can be used to treat the red discoloration of Rosacea, but the redness will return underlying the root cause is diagnosed and treated.

Melasma

Usually IPL is recommended in a series of three treatments spaced three weeks apart, with annual touch-ups to remove recurring spots. There is typically no downtime for IPL. Your discolored spots might get darker, dry and flaky after the first couple of treatments. The treatment can be a bit uncomfortable, though not so much that no pain medication is required.

Resolve pico-second laser skin rejuvenation

The latest in cosmetic laser technology that uses a different, non-heat related, modality to remove age spots, red areas and melasma. The Resolve can be delivered as a series of no downtime treatments, or more aggressive settings that can be used which result in a day or two of redness after each session.

Some customers report the Resolve is a more comfortable treatment than IPL. Based upon laser energy means the energy of the Resolve is more targeted than that of the IPL.

Resolve is also a great choice for those with Melasma because it doesn’t use heat as a primary means of removing darker skin, like the hyperpigmentation of Melasma.

Skin care with hydroquinione

Hydroquinione is a skin cream that slows the production of age spots and other hyperpigmentation. Hydroquinone is an excellent addition to your treatment plan for age spots and brown discoloration. It will not help with red discoloration. Obagi Clear and Obagi Blender are both products that contain hydroquinone. Skin care with hydroquinone is excellent for delaying the onset of brown discoloration and to extend the effectiveness of the laser-based services, such as IPL and CO2. It is also a potential solution for those with Melasma. Hydroquinone is not appropriate for Rosacea

Create and stick to Your Plan For a healthy and smooth complexion

You have a lot of options to prevent and remove age spots and other skin discoloration. Your personal plan will depend upon your goals, level of sun damage, age, time commitment and budget. The Spa 35 Team would love to spend some time with you in a free consultation and help you build a plan that is just right for you!

We typically suggest some time of energy based rejuvenation treatment at least every six months.