Sunburn is only the short-term damage caused by the ultraviolet (UV) rays of sunlight. A bigger concern is a long-range issue called photoaging, a process that makes your skin look and feel older than your chronological age.
You lose skin elasticity, wrinkles and lines form, skin tone and texture become uneven and rough, and spider veins begin to form on your face and chest. One of the common signs of photoaging is pigment changes called lentigines, though you may know them as age, liver, or sun spots.
Dr. Richard Blanchar and our team at Bayview General Medicine now offer photoaging treatments featuring the Elite iQ™ cosmetic laser system. A versatile dual-wavelength platform, Elite iQ provides a powerful yet gentle solution to sun spots.
Sun spots appear on skin that’s usually exposed to the sun. The back of the hands is a common place, and you may notice them on your back, face, and shoulders. The tops of your feet are another prime location if you’re frequently barefoot.
The spots themselves are flat, even with your normal skin level. They’re usually a dark tan or brown color, and you may mistake them for freckles, since they can appear in clusters. They grow in size to a maximum of about a half an inch.
The UV components of sunlight trigger some skin pigment cells to overproduce melanin. Over years of sun exposure, clumps of melanin form, creating the characteristic sun spot. Your risk increases if you’re frequently exposed to the sun or if you’ve had frequent sunburns.
While it may seem counterintuitive to turn to light to solve a problem started by light, the Elite iQ laser has no ultraviolet component. In fact, it uses two isolated wavelengths of light that penetrate the outer layers of skin and target melanin clumps below the surface.
Elite iQ features the Skintel® Melanin Reader™ to match the treatment to your skin, delivering light that’s absorbed by pigment but ignored by healthy skin. Melanin clumps heat up with this absorption and break apart. These smaller particles flush easily and naturally through your body, leaving behind a lighter age spot. It takes about 7 to 14 days for your body to eliminate these smaller melanin particles.
The number of treatments you need to completely eliminate them depends on your skin condition and the darkness of the spots being treated. Most patients require two sessions.
Find out more about how the Elite iQ system can guide you to evenly toned skin, free of sun spots, by scheduling a consultation with the team at Bayview General Medicine in Fort Lauderdale. You can reach our office by phone or online. Reverse the effects of photoaging with Elite iQ.
