As many of us struggle with hyperpigmentation or “brown/age spots” finding the most effective skin care routine can be overwhelming with all of the options out there. Our bodies produce pigment for a number of reasons; hormones, sun exposure, stress, age, and free radical damage.

Age Spots and Pigmentation Basics

Age spots are caused by excessive exposure to the sun and eventually most adults get them. Pigmented skin areas are caused by an excess of melanin in certain skin cells. Both of these types of skin marks can be safely, almost painlessly, and effectively removed with lasers, without unnecessary damage.

The Procedure

A laser produces a beam of highly concentrated light.  The color of light produced by a particular laser is the key to the laser’s effect on pigment.  Particular colors of light are absorbed by specific pigments in the skin.  The laser’s light energy, which is absorbed by the targeted lesion, eliminates the appropriate pigmented cells. The appearance of the treated area immediately after a laser session will vary from patient to patient depending upon the extent of the treatment.  Immediate after-effects if any, are minor. They may include redness, swelling, and tenderness, all of which will disappear in a short time.

All pigment treated with the Versapulse-C laser require a series of treatments to reach the desired level of improvement.  These treatments may range from 2 treatments, to as many as 6 or more, depending on the color, quantity, size, depth, and location of the pigmented lesions.