Sun/Age Spot Removal
Sun/Age Spot, Birthmark, Pigment Removal
Sun/Age Spot, Birthmark, Pigment Removal
Sun Spots and Age Spots
There are several names given to the unsightly blotches of the face, neck and hands: Age spots, Liver spots, Solar lentigos, and the name most commonly attributed, Brown Spots. But no matter what you call them, the cause in most cases is the same, and that’s sun damage.
Sun Damage
You may have exposed unprotected skin to ultraviolet rays, whether from a tanning booth, a sunlamp or years of going without sunscreen. In response, your skin has tried to protect itself by producing an overabundance of melanin–the pigmented cells in your skin–in uneven patches. The release of melanin is part of the body’s immune response. It is nature’s way of protecting the skin from further damage after it has been exposed to an excess of ultra violet rays. Darker discoloration usually indicates damage within the deeper layers of the skin and may be more difficult to treat.
Chemical Causes
Certain substances that come in contact with your skin may cause age spots. Chemicals called psoralens are present in foods such as parsley, limes and parsnips. When you handle these foods and then go out in the sun, your skin may be more sensitive and burn more easily where the psoralens touched it. When the little blisters from the burns have healed, age spots may appear in their places.
Antibiotics such as tetracycline (Achromycin), some diuretics (water pills) and antipsychotic medicines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine) will also cause your skin to produce age spots when it is not protected from the sun.
And if your favorite fragrance or lotion contains musk or bergamot oil, which are common perfume ingredients, it may give you more than a lovely scent. When perfumes or lotions containing these ingredients are applied to sun-exposed areas, they can produce age spots.
At ABM we use the latest and most effective lasers in treating Rosacea. The vascular structures which are responsible for causing Rosacea respond to the precise energy level and wavelength of light that is emitted via the laser. The small spot of laser light travels through the skin and is absorbed by the blood within these vessels. The resulting heat coagulates or clots the blood and destroys the function of the vessel. Over time, the vessel is absorbed by the body and disappears from sight. This leads to reduction of the redness and flushing appearance of facial skin.
Birthmarks
What are birthmarks?
Birthmarks are colored marks on the skin that are present at birth or develop shortly after birth. They can be many different sizes, shapes, and colors, including brown, tan, black, blue, pink, white, red, or purple. Some birthmarks appear on the surface of the skin; some are raised above the surface of the skin; and some are located under the skin.
What causes birthmarks?
It is not clear why some children have birthmarks and others do not. Some birthmarks appear because a child has extra color (pigment) in his or her skin. Other birthmarks appear because a child’s blood vessels did not develop normally or are grouped together too closely. Many folktales and myths exist about the causes of birthmarks, but none has been proven to explain the true causes of birthmarks.