What’s the best treatment for minor sun damage buildup on the forehead/cheeks. I don’t have major spotting, but more of an overall dulling to the skin. I just want to even out and brighten the complextion a bit. Would peels do the trick or am I looking at laser treatment? What are the costs?
0 Answers
Kim Kline wrote on :
Peels are great, even at 30% glycolic. Microderm treatments, if done in a series helps brighten and lighten. One microderm treatment is equal to about two low percentage peels. TCA peels, medical level are wonderful except for the down time of at least a week. Laser, professional has a pinking of the skin with little downtime and works well. Then there is serious laser which is great but is costly, has about a 30 day downtime and often leaves demarcation between the face and neck. I would start with an esthetician chemical peel. Some estheticians will go up to 50% if the law in their state allows. Peels can be painful. If that is not for you start with an office laser or microderm.
drjosie wrote on :
I agree with Dr Krant. There is a wide range of treatment options depending on how “minor” your sun damage is and your pocketbook.
I am a big believer in starting with a really good skin care system that should be tailored to your skin type. I tell my clients “you change your clothes out 4 times a year, we need to make adjustments to your skin care regimen with each season also.” Products containing hydroquinone or Kojic acid help to fade brown spots and should be used twice per day after washing and toning the skin. In the summer, I recommend layering a second product that contains Vitamins E and C as these help to protect the skin from UV light if put on the skin before exposure, followed by a product with UVA and UVB screens. At night substitute a Retinol in place of the Vit C and E.
Summer is also a great time to remove some of the stratum corneum (top layer of the epidermis that makes the skin look dull) with a microdermabrasion and mild peel. This will help even out the tone and texture.
Finally, depending on how tanned you are, I don’t usually recommend laser or IPL/BBL treatments on tanned skin, so I would reserve those sorts of treatments for the fall. While these are the most expensive treatments, if there is any redness or broken capillaries, no other treatment can adequately address that form of sun damage.
Good Luck!
n s wrote on :
Thanks for the advice on the laser treatments with the skin types, I had no idea it would hurt tanned skin. Luckily I am pale as a sheet 🙂 And I do have some broken blood vessels I’d like to have removed as well.
Jessica Krant, M.D. (Derm) wrote on :
Hi Alkonost,
Depending on your skin and the amount of damage, there is a whole range of options open to you, ranging from inexpensive drugstore products, to more expensive, more aggressive in-office laser resurfacing treatments. To combat dulling and fine texture changes, I would recommend starting with over the counter salicylic acid face washes (commonly found in the acne treatment aisle), glycolic acid washes or lotions (also called alpha hydroxy acid products), and the OTC cousin of Retin-A, retinol. Creams containing retinol (like Neutrogena’s new Ageless Intensives Retinol SA Night Cream) actively reverse skin aging.
Of course, don’t forget the MOST important part of an anti-aging regimen is to allow your skin to begin to heal itself and to prevent future damage by using a high SPF, “broad-spectrum” sunscreen every single day before you leave the house. I wish you luck in your project!
Dr. Krant
n s wrote on :
Thanks for advice. I should probably mention that there are a couple of reasons why I’m curious about laser or peels as a solution
1) Sadly the acid lightening creams have not worked for me in the past, I’m reluctant to try more of them because it takes a month or two to find out if I’ll get any results
2) I have some broken blood vessels and red moles on my face that I need to have zapped. I would be making an appointment with a dematologist to have this done anyway, I figured I should look into having the sun damage taken care of too in one fell swoop.