Age Spots, sometimes called Liver Spots.
Age spots can appear on the face, arms, chest and body over time relating to sun damage and simply with age. There are several effective treatments available to lighten or remove them. The pigment is usually at the base of the epidermis, that’s the top layer of skin, so the treatments we use to lighten age spots
needs to penetrate this layer of skin.
The length of each procedure and the time it takes to see results varies from weeks to months, and depends on the depth of the age spot and treatment you decide to have.
After treatment, we recommend that you always wear an SPF50 to UV exposed areas of skin or when outdoors and wear protective clothing.
Age spot treatments are considered cosmetic, so they are rarely covered by health insurance.
The doctor will ask you-
Do you have a family history of age spots or skin cancer?
Have you had any suspicious changes in the age spots?
If there are changes, we are able to offer a biopsy or refer you back to your GP.
Treatments
Applying prescription strength hydroquinone along with tretinoin can gradually fade the spots over several months. The skin can become temporary itchy, dry and red, SPF 50 must be used daily on any exposed areas.
Medically based skincare routines without Hydroquinone also work extremely well over a 12-18 week period, with no downtime and can be used all year to keep pigmentation at bay, ask Dr. Khan about VI Derm and Skin Science.
These treatments can help to destroy over production of melanin, without damaging the skin’s surface. A course of 3- 6 sessions, usually a month apart give excellent results. Downtime is minimal, around 3-5 days, sometimes less. Expect some redness or flaking.
IPL delivers light energy to treat damaged layers of skin, helping to reverse the signs of aging and make skin appear smoother.
IPL treatment has a number of benefits; from decreasing redness and visible blood vessels to reducing oily skin and breakouts. We want your skin to both appear healthier and be easier for you to manage; creating confidence in the way you look and feel.
Before any treatment you need a consultation where your medical history is taken in order to be sure you are having the correct treatment. Before proceeding with IPL you will need a test patch, this will be three different levels of IPL applied to an area near the skin to be treated, to see which level suits you best, a minimum of 24 hours before treatment.
For IPL a layer of chilled gel is applied to the treatment area. The light applicator tip is placed on the skin and an intense pulsed light is released. The applicator tip is then moved to the next area and the process is repeated until the entire area is treated. The chilled gel is removed and Aloe Vera and an SPF are applied. During the treatment, protective eyewear will be provided. There will be some discomfort, felt as a sting, it is tolerable and no anaesthetic is required.
The treated area may feel warm and sensitive for the first few days post-treatment. With IPL the lesion will darken and may be more obvious before it fades and flakes away. There may be some crusting in the area for up to 10 days and then pigment will appear lighter.
No sun exposure for up to 30 days prior to treatment or after.
No tan, fake tan or gradual tan for a month prior to treatment.
Do not use topical retinol products in the treated area 5 days prior to treatment.
Usually 3 to 6 treatments, a month apart will give excellent results.
A 70-90% reduction of pigmentation can be expected.
A topical chemical solution is applied to the skin, the solution contains ingredients to lift the top layers of skin to allow smoother fresh new skin to replace it. There will be flaking and redness as the skin sheds, depending on the strength of the peel, from 3 days to 2 weeks. You might need several treatments to give you the results you desire.
Request an Appointment at Ballingdon Hall Aesthetic Clinic.
Your doctor/therapist will apply a chemical solution using a cotton ball, gauze or brush, the solution will contain glycolic or salicylic acid. The treated skin will begin to tingle.
You might feel mild stinging, the solution is left on your skin from 1-10 minutes.
Then a neutralizing solution or water wash is applied to remove the chemical solution from the skin.
A cotton tipped applicator or gauze is used to apply a chemical solution containing TCA (trichloroacetic acid), sometimes in combination with glycolic acid. As the chemical penetrates the skin it may begin to whiten.
After a few minutes, a cool compresses will be applied to soothe treated skin. You will be given a hand held fan to cool your skin. No neutralizing solution is needed for this peel.
You usually feel stinging and burning for up to 20 minutes and your face can begin to turn red.
Your skin is cleansed.
A prepping solution is applied.
A thick paste will be applied to your face by a brush.
You will go home with the paste on your face, we call it a mask, it is left on from 8-12 hours depending on the skin tone.
The peel is removed at home, you will be given a skincare routine and products to apply for 2 weeks, then return to the clinic for a review.
After a chemical peel of any depth, other than a very light Glycolic peel, your skin can be red, tight, irritated and swollen. You will be given directions on how to cleanse, moisturise and protect your skin with SPF50 and how to apply them.
Always avoid picking off flaky skin, or rubbing or scratching your skin. It can take several weeks before your skin returns to normal and you can see the full results of the peel.
After a light chemical peel you can usually wear makeup the next day, always wear an SPF 50 under your makeup.
After a medium chemical peel, your skin may be red and swollen, your doctor will give you aftercare creams to use to soothe the area, you will get dryness and some flaking. After five to seven days, you can use makeup to cover any redness.
As swelling reduces, you may begin to form a crust on the top layer of skin, this can look darker than normal skin and can even look brown.
It can take about seven to fourteen days to heal after a medium chemical peel, but redness might last for months.
After a deep chemical peel, you’ll usually experience severe redness and swelling and flaking or crusting. The skin can also feel burning, and the swelling may even make your eyelids swell.
If you are in pain your doctor might also prescribe painkillers. You will need to use the cream given by your doctor three times a day or soak the treated skin and apply Vaseline several times a day for about a week.
Treated areas will develop new skin within about two weeks after a deep chemical peel, although redness can last for months.
We recommend that you stay at home while you’re healing from a chemical peel.
Once new skin completely covers the treated area in about two weeks, you can use cosmetics to conceal any redness. Use sunscreen every day.
Results
A light chemical peels can improves skin texture and tone and help lessens the appearance of fine lines. The results are subtle but increase with repeated treatments, a course of 6 weekly treatments is recommended for best results.
A medium chemical peel, will show treated skin to be noticeably smoother.
A deep chemical peel, will see a dramatic improvement in the even colour tone, the look and feel of treated areas.
Skin peels can be costly in time and money, so please look after your skin with a good skincare routine and facials, as over time, age and with new sun damage, it can lead to new lines and skin colour changes.
With all peels, the new skin is temporarily more sensitive to the sun. Be sure to talk with your doctor or therapist about how long to protect your skin from the sun, they will probably say….always!
