Can a Laser Zap those Brown Spots off Your Face?

As we age, our skin changes. And not all of these changes are welcome. If you ask me, most of them aren’t. But perhaps the most distressing is hyperpigmentation.

While this isn’t a natural effect of aging for most people, it is something that tends to emerge as we get older due to skin damage, hormonal changes or underlying health conditions. Luckily, there are laser skin treatments that can help you eliminate brown spots, melasma and more.

Understanding Hyperpigmentation

You don’t have to live with skin discoloration. Laser treatments can even out your pigmentation and improve your confidence.

There isn’t a single condition called hyperpigmentation. Rather, it is a broad term encompassing multiple skin conditions that cause the skin to become discolored or darkened. Some conditions that fall under this umbrella include:

Sun damage
Acne scarring
Eczema inflammation
Melasma

All of these conditions are quite common, but melasma tends to be one of the most concerning. Unlike other forms of discoloration, it tends to come in patches rather than spots. While this makes it easy to distinguish between brown spots vs. melasma, it does mean it is highly visible.

Melasma can occur anywhere on the body, but it tends to be most prevalent on the face, appearing on the forehead, chin and above the mouth. From a distance, it can even give the appearance of facial hair.

Yikes!

And since it tends to impact women more than men, at a ratio of 9:1, double yikes!

But if you have melasma or other forms of hyperpigmentation, you don’t need to suffer with it. Laser skin treatments can help to reduce or eliminate this discoloration.

Laser Treatments for Brown Spots

Not all forms of hyperpigmentation are easy to treat, and melasma is generally considered to be among the most difficult. This is because it is caused by both UV exposure and hormones. This hormonal origin is what makes it difficult to address, even with some lasers.

To get the right results, you need the right treatment — lasers with far-reaching wavelengths that can penetrate to the deepest layers of the skin. This allows them to heat the skin cells in the targeted area, breaking up the pigmentation concentration and evening out the skin tone.

PicoWay® Resolve offers effective melasma treatment for most people looking to treat the condition. In addition to making a big difference in discoloration, these are treatments that have little to no downtime. While the skin may feel a little dry for a while, it doesn’t require time off work. All you really need to do is avoid the sun and moisturize.

How many treatments are needed will vary. For some, treating melasma may take a single session, while for others, there may be a need for several treatments spaced weeks apart.

Just be certain that you turn to an experienced med spa or cosmetic surgeon for your treatment, as what may appear to be melasma could, in fact, be something more serious. Take your time to do your research and select the provider who is the right fit for you.