Sun Damage - Patients ask, Dr. Ringpfeil answers
Please feel free to use the blog below to share information about Sun Damage or to ask Dr. Franziska Ringpfeil a question that might be of interest to others.
Philadelphia and Mainline Center of Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery
KTP Laser
Overview:
This double pulsed Nd:YAG laser treats facial blood vessels and spider veins.
Expected results:
Reduction of unwanted blood vessels.
Preparation:
Sunscreen for several weeks. Avoidance of alcohol prevents the dilation of blood vessels especially with rosacea.
Post treatment instructions:
Sun protection for 6 weeks after each treatment. Avoidance of alcohol for 2 weeks after each procedure.
Time to desired results:
1-4 treatments 4-6 weeks apart may be necessary to eradicate unwanted blood vessels.
Contraindications:
Recent tan. Skin types that never burn.
Duration of desired effects:
5-7 years. After this time, our body will form new vessels, especially in genetically determined spider veins.
Downtime:
Redness, swelling and bruising for several days, bruising for up to 3 months with leg vein treatment. Scarring is rare but may occur.
Hi,
I am an african American young woman that have brown spots on my upper and lower lips. I wasn’t born with this but I’ve had them since about age 8 or 9 maybe younger. I’ve seen quite a few people of the same nationality with the same problem so I know I’m not alone with this but I want it gone! Are there any creams out there that can help or is there a procedure of any kind?
I am unaware of a reliable treatment for brown spots on the red part of the lip.
Hello,
Do you have experience in treating asian skin for sun/brown spots? I am looking for an experienced dermatologist who isn’t going to charge me an arm and a leg for multiple treatments, only to be disappointed. I have had laser treatments done before with great results followed by cream (prescribed by the doctor) to apply at home 3x a week to maintain my skin. But she is leaving the practice to be with her family. I am extremely cautious because I’ve had a horrible experience at a dermatologist office where they had a certified technician who actually didn’t have a license perform laser on my face but instead my face looked the same, instead I paid $350 for no results and paid for an Obagi kit that I was directed to use afterwards! I was fully compensated but I will never have laser done again except by a doctor.
We have many “Asian” patients and often perform brown spot removal by laser. The treatment is always gauged to the skin color and skin type because to us “Asian” is a very wide spectrum.
Usually, brown spot removal is performed by our licensed aestheticians after consultation with me for proper treatment parameters, however, upon request, I perform the laser procedure.
Brown spots take between 1-3 treatments to fully resolve. The treatment cost is the same to all of our patients. We charge $105 for the first spot and $20 for each additional per treatment if you have less than 15 spots total. If you have more than 15 spots in one cosmetic area, such as on the face, the cost is $400 for all per treatment. Removal of more than 15 in larger cosmetic area such as on the chest or forearms is $600 per treatment. Removal of brown spots on hands is $300 per treatment.
hi, im 33 years old i have a little brown spots in my face since i was a child, i tried a cream called be white advanced by vichy. it worked i mean thos spot become light.but they come back and im really not happy whit this. so i heard about a laser technology so i want to know please.im a male.thanks
Brown spots on the face can be treated by laser as long as the surrounding skin is fairly light. If the surrounding skin is darker other treatments including peels can be used to safely remove them. You need an evaluation to learn about the options that are most effective and safe for you.
I wanted info on African American skin. Does this office have hair laser and chemical pees with African American skin. I did not see any photos on the web page do you have any before and after photos in the office.
We treat skin of every color and have the expertise and technology (including lasers and peels) to do so. I apologize for not showing pictures and will work on correcting that.
I would like the removal of singular freckles (not sun spots) on the neck and ear lobe. What is my best option/treatment? Would an IPL or another laser treatment fade or remove the freckles?
It sounds as if you have a nevus on the neck and on the earlobe. They are commonly referred to as liver spots or moles and are not related to sun exposure. If the diagnosis nevus is correct, treatment may not be as simple as you assume. To this date, we do not have any conclusive data on the safety of laser treatment of a nevus. Therefore, it is not generally offered in the United States. A flat nevus can be excised but this will leave a scar. If it is a little bit elevated above skin surface it can be flush removed. Evaluation is key to give you the proper treatment options.
I have poikiloderma civatte and I have had only 2 ipl rx (i believe). I don’t see much difference. Someitimes it itches and if a were certain fabrics it seems to aggravate the problem. Are you able to help me with this condition?
In my experience, pulsed dye laser works better than IPL, although IPL is a reasonable treatment. Regardless, it takes usually aloud 4 treatments with the pulsed dye laser and possibly even more with IPL to correct poikiloderma.
hi, I am 33 years old i have a little brown spots in my face since i was a child, i tried a cream called be white advanced by vichy. it worked i mean thos spot become light.but they come back and im really not happy whit this. so i heard about a laser technology so i want to know please.im a male.thanks
Brown spots on the face can be treated by laser as long as the surrounding skin is fairly light. If the surrounding skin is darker other treatments including peels can be used to safely remove them. You need an evaluation to learn about the options that are most effective and safe for you.
Many years ago, I had laser treatment to remove a quarter sized sun/age spot from my face. Over the years, the spot has returned. Is there any treatment that will allow me to enjoy the sun, with sunscreen, and still have the spot removed and not return.
Laser is the most effective technology to date to remove sun spots. Once a sun spot/ brown spot/ age spot is fully treated, it must be diligently protected from the sun, especially from its UVA rays. This is achieved by wearing sun protection daily, by reapplying sunscreen with prolonged exposure and by avoidance of sun bathing. The type of sunscreen is important as not all sunscreens protect from UVA rays equally. Physical protection with zinc oxide or chemical sunscreens containing Cell Ox Shield, Mexoryl or Helioplex technology are the most effective sunscreens currently available in the US.
Franziska Ringpfeil, MD
I have a half inch age spot on my temple, but actually both cheeks are discolored (slight brown) with small spots on my checks.
I was speaking with a friend who had laser surgery done, and she said that large areas like my cheeks can be done.
What is the surgery time, and how much typically does something like this cost?
Thank you, Dan
From your description it appears that you have a sun spot / brown spot / age spot. If an evaluation confirms the diagnosis, the most efficient way to eradicate these benign sun induced pigment changes from the skin is the use of a pigment specific laser. Between 1-3 treatments 4-6 weeks apart are needed. The treatments feel very warm on the skin but take only minutes. The cost depends on the size of the area or number of spots treated. We charge $105 (for spot size up to 1 cm) for the first spot and $20 for each additional spot per treatment. If there more than 15 spots on the face, we charge a flat fee of $400 per treatment.
Franziska Ringpfeil, MD
I would like the removal of very small age spots on one hand. The other hand was already done abroad. I would appreciate info on the cost of laser removal?
Sun or age spots are common on the hands and can effectively be removed using a laser that specifically targets pigment. Depending on the intensity of the sun spots, 1-3 treatments 4-6 weeks apart are needed to remove them. With proper application of a potent UVA filtering sunscreen, you can even prevent new ones from forming. The treatment per session for both hands is $300, but if less than 10 spots total are present, the charge will be smaller.