Focus On Sun Damage

Photo aging includes skin changes seen with aging plus changes seen with sun exposure. These include excessive wrinkling, pigmentation changes, and a yellowing appearance to the skin. Common pigmented lesions of cosmetic concern are:

Solar lentigines- Also called sun spots or liver spots these pigmented areas usually occur
on the face or back of hands.

Melasma- Another form of hyper pigmentation of the face most commonly seen females.
The darkened areas tend to occur on the forehead, upper lip, and cheekbones. The areas darken with sun exposure and lighten without. This condition may be increased in pregnancy and with hormone use. Sunscreen is a must to prevent recurrence.

Ephelides- Commonly called freckles, these areas of increased pigmentation are of no
concern and tend to come and go with sun exposure.

Many products and procedures exist to reduce and eliminate the signs of photo aging. Pharmaceuticals change the skin biology by remodeling the epidermis creating a more uniform color and texture. Commonly used pharmaceuticals are retinoids. These products are approved by the FDA. Cosmeceuticals are made by cosmetic companies and they do not change the biology of the skin but they may improve the appearance of fine lines. Commonly used products are topical antioxidants like vitamin C and E, fruit acids, and retinol. These agents are not FDA approved, are less expensive and less harsh on the skin than pharmaceuticals.

The staff at Lumina has put together a Special Package for sun damaged skin that primarily focuses on reducing pigment changes.

The package includes
3 Vitalize peels, 3 IPL treatments and 3 microdermabrasions.

A series of Vitalize Peels has been shown to reduce hyper pigmentation from a variety of causes. The IPL treatment is a light-based treatment designed to target brown lesions in the epidermis. Microdermabrasion exfoliates the superficially pigmented areas after peels and IPL treatments. The series looks like this…IPL/Peel/Microdermabrasion repeated three times with each treatment (for example a peel or IPL) approximately 2 weeks apart. The series is an $1125.00 value for only $925.00. In addition, add treatment to the back of the hands and receive a 50% discount. Also, receive 10% off all SkinMedica and Clarisonic products with this package.