Do you spend a lot of time in the sun? Or wear reflective Aviator sunglasses? Do you forget to apply sunscreen, especially on your left side when driving? Did you play an outdoor sport growing up?
If you answered yes to any of those questions and are over the age of 25, you probably have at least one of those flat, dark spots on your face that we call sun spots, liver spots, age spots, melanin clusters, or (for the very technical) solar lentigines or solar keratosis.
For now, we’ll refer to them as sunspots simply because they appear on the parts of the skin that have been consistently exposed to UV rays. Your skin naturally produces melanin to protect itself against harmful rays. Usually, this results in a beautiful, bronzed, vacation-mode tan! However, with increased sun exposure, extra pigment can gather in one area, leaving a blotchy, dark spot. If these spots remain untreated, they will eventually grow larger.
Of course, to reduce your chances of getting them altogether, SPF is the best protectant. However, if you have already accumulated several of these pesky spots, coming into the iO Clinic is your first step at minimizing their appearance. The iO Clinic can utilize the VISIA Imaging Scan to give you an overall assessment of your skin’s health. Among the things that the VISIA can identify are sunspots! With the baseline assessment, your esthetician can help you come up with a plan to help reduce the appearance of those spots.
1. Chemical Peels
There are chemical peels of varying degrees to match your needs. With any chemical peel, the top layer of the skin is exposed to the chemical agents, which break down the dry and damaged skin. As time goes on, the damaged skin begins to flake off, revealing beautiful and refreshed skin underneath. Often, sunspots are topical, on the layer of skin that is treated by the chemical peel. Once you have fully recovered from the peel, sunspots and other blemishes fade, leaving you with flawless, fresh skin.
2. Diamond Glow
The Diamond Glow facial is one of the many facials that we offer at the iO Clinic. The Diamond Glow facial, similar to a chemical peel, helps to shed the top layer of skin that harbors sunspots and other topical blemishes. Diamond Glow facials are popular for many different reasons. Clients often report it “does wonders” for their skin and love the infused serums that the facial has become synonymous with. The effect of this facial is skin with an overall brighter look, often minimizing the appearance of sunspots!
3. Topical products
At the iO Clinic, we have an abundant inventory of skincare products to meet your every need. The best way to assess what specific products will help treat your specific skin and your sunspots is to ask one of our estheticians. Our incredible team will be able to recommend products that will result in a comprehensive approach to your skin. They can help set you up with a routine that includes active ingredients such as tretinoin or hydroquinone, and guide you on how to best utilize them for optimal results against your sunspots.
If you’d like to schedule a consultation with one of the laser experts at L&P Aesthetics, give us a call at 650-582-4099 or send us an email.
