BBL (Broad Band Light)
Light therapy has been used to treat conditions like acne and psoriasis since the dawn of man. Over recent decades sophisticated light machines have been developed that deliver safer and more precise light for a wide variety of skin disorders, including age spots (of the face, chest, arms and hands) and redness (of the face, neck and chest). These devices provide a huge improvement over prior methods as they drive the safe light deep into the skin to chase away the unwanted colors in a more thorough and rapid fashion.
Light therapy is often referred to in generic terms by the names of older machines such as "IPL" (intense pulsed light). Like most medical devices, there are now many generations of these machines. At our office, we use a new devise called "BBL" (Broad Band Light) made by the respected Sciton Corporation in Palo Alto. While the older devices are safe and effective, they require more treatments to do the job, thus costing the patient more time and money.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) services are gentle, non-ablative laser procedures that treat wrinkles, scars, sun damage and signs of aging. A series of IPL treatments improves the texture and color of your skin gradually and naturally for a more youthful appearance.
The IPL laser delivers a bright blast of light at very high energy levels through a hand-held device. The gentle, non-ablative treatments use broad-spectrum light to treat the face, chest, neck and hands. The procedure requires minimal to no down time, low risk of side effects, and typically takes 2-3 sessions.
The IPL laser treats the following conditions:
- Sun damage
- Age spots
- Wrinkles
- Acne scars
- Facial redness (rosacea)
- Pigmented lesions
- Freckles
- Unwanted hair
In general, BBL can chase away most of the unwanted brown or red within 2-4 treatments given about 3 weeks apart. The treatment involves reclining in a comfortable chair while a flashing hand-held wand is moved across your skin. Each site takes about 10 minutes to treat and there is no recovery other than avoiding strong sunlight for a couple of days. Aside from the brown or redness possibly becoming a shade richer for a few days after the treatment, no one will know you have been treated. The colors will fade with each treatment and most patients are surprised to see how much better they appear after removing the years of color accumulation to which they have become reluctantly accustomed. Because lifestyle (sun exposure, alcohol) and genetic predisposition play a role in ones tendency towards unwanted skin color accumulation, it is common for an individual to require one or two light therapy treatments per year to maintain their desired appearance.
It is imperative that the operator of these devices have experience. If a patient is under - treated, they will require unnecessary additional treatments to complete the task at hand. If the patient is over-treated, they risk getting a mild (yet uncomfortable) burn (similar to a sun burn).
Photorejuvenation treatments are full face, neck, arm, hand or chest treatments using pulses of visible light that improve redness and flushing, as well as the visible signs of sun damage and aging such as brown age spots and skin blotchiness.
Photorejuvenation was developed as an innovative method to rejuvenate and improve skin. A non-laser device called an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) delivers pulses of safe, effective, visible light. Specific settings are selected by your doctor to maximize improvement. A series of six or more treatments are performed at three to four-week intervals.
The Photorejuvenation treatments result in consistent, visible, permanent improvement in the skin with no downtime, little discomfort and minimal risk. With Photorejuvenation treatments, red skin tones will be effectively eliminated and brown age spots and sun damaged aging skin will be improved.