As we age and our years in the sun start to catch up with us, it’s very common for our skin to develop freckles, age spots and an uneven skin tone. These spots of pigmentation can be easily resolved with a variety of treatments available at Eden Laser Clinics. Depending on your unique situation including your skin tone and depth of pigment, you may require skin needling, chemical peels and laser treatments with the Candela GentleLase Pro or PicoWay.
Pigmentation on the face and body can be triggered by a number of factors including:
- Sun exposure – Thanks to Australia’s unrelenting sun, we often develop skin discolouration and freckles years down the track.
- Trauma from injury – injured or damaged skin will often leave a discolouration, e.g. acne scars.
- Hormonal changes – Women are more greatly affected, with changes seen after beginning the contraceptive pill, puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
We treat many types of skin pigmentation, including:
- Freckle removal
- Sun spots / age spots
- Melasma
- General skin discolouration
- Lentigines
- Some birthmarks
Lentigines or age spots are premature ageing seen on the skin as brown marks, which most commonly appear on the backs of hands and the face. Sunburn freckles are often the result of sun damage and occur on the back, upper chest and shoulders. Cafe au lait, Nevus of Ota, Mongolian spots and other flat pigmented birthmarks are localised areas of increased pigmentation in the skin.
If you’re looking for a low-downtime treatment to tackle superficial pigmentation, chemical peels and skin needing could be your solution.
Skin needling involves the use of a pen which contains several tiny needles, aligned equidistantly. The SkinPen is used to inject these needles at different spots to create micro-channels. Skin needling is also often referred to as ‘Collagen Induction Therapy’ because the small injuries made to the skin compels the body to start its natural healing process. The old, pigmented layer of skin starts becoming dry and in a week or so peels off. Over a period of 10 to 14 days following your treatment, new collagen is formed to cover up the injuries. This new layer of skin is free from any kind of sun spots or marks.
Sun spots of the deeper and superficial layers of the skin can be reduced with 4 to 6 sessions, 4 to 8 weeks apart. The skin starts responding after the first session itself and at the end of the whole treatment, you achieve rejuvenated, firm and spot-free skin.
Our Pigment Punch Peel utilises an organic herbal compound to help lift away the accumulated layers of dull, discoloured cells and provide a remarkable skin brightening action. The peel’s combination of Salicylic Acid, Vitamin C and Tyrostat not only remove unwanted pigment from the skin’s surface but also have the ability to inhibit the production of Melanin, preventing future pigmentation concerns. Due to the strength of this peel, we recommend pre-paring with a specific skin care regime prior to your appointment to ensure you achieve the best results possible.
You’ll notice a brighter and smoother complexion after your first treatment, with best results achieved with a course of 3 to 6 treatments, spaced 4 weeks apart.
For deeper or more stubborn types of pigmentation, you may require a stronger solution such as our GentleLase Pro.
The way our GentleLase Pro works for pigmentation is similar to the way it works for hair removal – by targeting the Melanin in the skin. Melanin is what gives our skin its colour and tone. Hyperpigmentation is simply due to an abnormally high concentration of Melanin in on area – this skin concern is generally of no medical concern, merely cosmetic. However, if we ever suspect an area of discolouration looks like it needs more investigation, we will send you back to see your doctor before proceeding with treatment, just to be sure!
Laser pigmentation removal works by selectively targeting the unwanted pigment in the skin with laser light. The pigment absorbs the light and heats up, resulting in the body shedding or reabsorbing the pigment over several weeks.
The number of treatments you will require depends on a number of factors including the type of pigment concern and the skin type. Generally, you will require 4-6 treatments, however darker skin types may need more sessions as we work more carefully to avoid complications. Your treatments will be scheduled 4-6 weeks apart with results seen after 2-3 months.
Whilst our GentleLase Pro works wonders, some skin tones need a different approach. For our patients with Asian, Indian, African and tanned skins, you’ll love Candela’s PicoWay.
PicoWay is a high power, ultra-short pulse laser that reaches below the skin’s surface to break up unwanted dark spots into tiny particles for the body to then naturally expel. Because the photoacoustic effect reaches under the surface of the skin to shatter the unwanted pigment, our patients require no or low downtime post-treatment compared to other technologies that work by heating the skin’s surface.
PicoWay Resolve’s hand-piece splits the main laser beam into smaller, identical beams for more precise, focused treatments. Many patients see visible improvement following the first treatment, with ideal results seen after a course of 2 to 3 depending on the type and depth of the pigment.
Treatments are very fast and fairly comfortable. The sensation feels warm to hot. Post treatment you can expect slightly red or pink sensitive skin (the sensation is similar to sunburn) with the pigment appearing much darker, or grey. It is important to not scratch or remove darkened pigment prematurely, rather allow it to come away naturally.
After the laser treatment, the area will feel hot, similar to a sunburn, sometimes for up to several hours. Discomfort disappears over the next few hours, a scab or crust will develop over the area, and this looks darker than the original lesion. This will last between 12-18 days depending on the size and site (longer on arms and legs). When the scab comes off, the area will be pink for another couple of weeks and then will return to its final colour.
If you’re looking to transform your skin and regain a radiant, even complexion book your FREE consultation at Eden Laser Clinics to have one of our highly-experienced therapists develop your custom treatment program
