The sun is one of the main factors influencing the appearance of spots and imperfections on the skin, hence the importance of a skin check after the summer. “Each blemish is different and needs specific treatment and prior diagnosis by a specialist,” explains Dr. Adriana Ribé, dermatopathologist director of Ribé Clínic.
“Performing a skin diagnosis after the summer is essential to study both the new spots that have appeared and the change in shape or darkening of those that were already there,” warns the doctor. For this reason, the specialist recommends a series of treatments according to the type of blemish and offers the most advanced laser protocols to achieve healthy, uniform and blemish-free skin.
To erase the sun spots, Dr. Ribé recommends the Q-Switched or variable pulse Alexandrite laser treatment that provides results in a single session. To eliminate melasma, the doctor advises treatment with Fraxel Dual Laser; and for superficial spots or wrinkles, the recommended protocol is the micro-laser-peel.
At young ages the spots are more frequent in women, but as we get older they also appear in men in the same way.
Treatment for solar lentigines
Solar lentigines, also known as age spots, are those spots that appear in areas exposed to the sun and have a round shape with irregular margins. Their origin is related to age or excessive sun exposure.
Dr. Adriana Ribé uses in these cases the Q-switched RevLite laser or the Variable Pulse Alexandrite laser (Elite MPX) to eliminate, in a single session, this type of spots. “The laser light destroys the cells with excess pigment without damaging the surrounding tissue,” explains Dr. Ribé, “and so they are completely removed.” After the laser session, a scab of the same size as the spot will remain, which disappears in about 5-10 days.
Treatment for melasma
“Melasma is that spot of hormonal origin that has an irregular shape and diffuse (geographic) borders. It usually appears on the lip, forehead or cheeks and worsens in summer with sun exposure,” explains the doctor. The only laser approved for its treatment is the Fraxel Dual Laser.
Treatment for superficial blemishes, wrinkles and scars
The Micro-Laser-Peel treatment is used to remove superficial blemishes, fine wrinkles and scars quickly and painlessly. This laser works by using a procedure that removes the outermost layers of the skin using an ablative laser (Erbium YAG or CO2). In just a few days, the skin peels very superficially and you can already see the improvement in skin blemishes, and its texture is finer and the pore is more closed.
The effects of the Micro-Laser-Peel treatment are cumulative. “After the first treatment, in about a week, improvement in the spots and skin texture is observed. The skin will improve over the following months and, with each treatment session, the changes will become more noticeable,” says the specialist. Thus, after the 4 sessions (period of 3 to 5 months), patients observe at least a 50% improvement in the elasticity, texture, color and fine wrinkles of the skin.