The Australian sun is bright, blistering and brilliant. As a nation, we love the water, we love spending days by the pool or on the sand, soaking up the rays. Some of us spend our workdays underneath the harsh conditions of an elevated UV index and most of us have forgotten to slip, slop, slap a time or two. Laser treatments for pigmentation and sun damage can reverse the blemishes.
What’s the Difference? Age Spots, Sun Spots, Dark Spots, and Liver Spots, Pigmentation Age spots might be referred to by many different terms, but they all point to the same condition: spots that appear anywhere on the body due to the skin’s melanin-producing reaction to too much exposure to the sun or tanning booths.
They can vary in size and color, as well as in name. Also called liver spots or sun spots, the marks that can appear as small as freckles and as large as one centimeter in diameter have nothing to do with a person’s liver. The dark spots may show up as black dots or light brown circular shapes, or even grey marks.
What they all have in common is that they are the result of sun exposure over time, and it’s important that the dark spots be examined by a medical professional to distinguish them from skin cancer.
Age Spots on the Face
Age spots often appear on the face since, the facial area is often exposed to the sun and not hidden behind any type of covering, just like the body. Also known as solar lentigines, age spots might be more plentiful on the side of the face that gets the most sun exposure, such as the left side of the face for drivers in the U.S., which can be subjected to 20 times more UV exposure.
Age Spots on the Hands
In the same manner that the face is more at risk for greater sun exposure, so are the backs of the hands more vulnerable to sun damage that can leave brown spots atop them. Telltale signs often reside on the hands of elderly individuals, which often include liver spots and thin skin. Most common in adults older than 50 years of age, age spots can also show up on younger folks who spend lots of time in the sun.
Reasons and Causes
Sunspots are created when the body reacts to too much sun exposure and produces melanin as a result. The high amount of melanin produced can appear as singular or concentrated clumps of pigment.
It is important to be aware that not just exposure to the natural sun can cause these problems. Using tanning beds can create spots on the skin as well. Whereas non-cancerous spots on the outer layer of the skin are merely aesthetic and not harmful, many people choose to have the marks marring their skin removed for cosmetic reasons.
Should You See a Medical Professional About Skin Concerns?
Even if discoloration within your facial skin or that of your hands doesn’t trouble you, it is smart to bring the issue to your health care provider to rule out malignant conditions, and to learn how to prevent age spots in the future. They can happen to individuals with all kinds of skin types and can be more visible in folks with contrasting light-colored skin.
People who are bothered by the way these overly pigmented areas hamper an otherwise smooth complexion have several choices for fading the black, brown, or tan spots.
How does Pigmentation and Sun Damage Happen?
Brown spots, sun damage, sun spots, moles – the brown marks peppering your body are caused by too much naturally produced melanin in one, concentrated area. All pigmentation problems can be traced to melanin cells – the same building blocks that decide your hair and eye colour!
Can You Treat Sun Damage and Pigmentation?
We use two Laser platforms, The Q + C Quanta Q- Switch and the Ellipse Multiplex IPL/ Laser. These lasers are used for pigmentation removal, rocacea, sun damage, freckles, sun spots, sun damage, melasma and poikiloderma. The laser platforms emit light that targets the affected area by suppressing and/or eliminating the cells that are responsible for causing the imperfections. Expect the brown spots and pigmentation to darken in colour, rising to the surface and flaking away. From beginning to end, expect a 10 day cycle.
The Results
For basic results, expect to complete 1 to 3 treatments; for consistent and long lasting results, 2 to 5 treatments are required every 30 days. Deeply damaged skin will require regular sessions for the best results. We offer Mineral makeup range for post procedure treatment.
Book A Consultation
For further information or to book a consultation you can call us on (07) 5539 9534 or make a booking online.