By Stina Delance
Photofacial is a process using cutting edge pulse light technology to lessen redness and smooth out uneven skin colour issues. Using this method to correct aging skin issues and other blemishes and spots, this fast acting process is noninvasive and is increasing in popularity quickly.
The sun has an effect as well as aging on the skin over the years, including producing brown spots and ruptured blood vessels on the cheeks, nose, chin, hands and neck. Age spots are brown areas on the skin that appear after much exposure to the sun, and they are caused by pigment forming that protects from UV rays. New blood vessels grow into the skin in response to skin injury by the sun. The new blood vessel formation is actually inflammation of the skin.
Blood is brought in to the area from these new vessels in order to bring healing compounds in, and to remove damaged cells. As our skin ages, the brown spots and broken blood vessels are left behind on the skin after the inflammation or skin injury has passed. Aging has many outward forms, and dyschromia is what red spots and pigmented brown spots are called technically.
How does it work?
A specific color of the flash light is emitted though a filter, where bright intense pulsed light is directed into. The pigmented areas of the skin that form age spots along with the burst blood vessels absorb the photofacial light selectively once it gets to the skin. The action of the high heat from IPL light works to destroy damaged blood vessels and areas of concentrated pigment.
Photofacial treatment is noninvasive and requires little to no recovery time. It only takes a quarter to half an hour for the treatment, and then the patient can go on with their day. There are some signs of redness and capillary exposure right after the treatment at times. It won't last long, and benefits from the initial procedure are noticeable almost right away. When comparing lasers to photofacials, the latter seems very mild by contrast, as lasers could leave some scarring or peeling, this won't result from photofacial treatments. There is some darkening that can occur in the treated areas, but skin is never broken during the procedure. Several hours is about the longest that any pinkness will normally remain. When a patient needs to go to work and there is still some redness, some makeup does a good job of making this unnoticeable.
To produce the desired results, three to seven treatments are usually recommended and are spaced two to three weeks apart. Rosacea patients see benefits of these treatments quickly, and will notice the redness becoming less prominent over time.
Always adhere to your doctor's instructions following treatment. Try to stay out of direct sunlight before a photofacial, and also afterwards. If a patient does not follow the guidelines and decides to tan or go in the sun, dyspigmentation and blistering is possible. When a patient gets too much sun too close to a treatment, discoloration of the skin may also happen. Always wear sunscreen to maximize and sustain your results.
