Treatment of sun and age spots is available at our clinic in Richmond Hill.
What Are Sun Spots?
Sun spots are also known as 'age spots', 'liver spots', 'solar lentigo' and senile 'freckles'. Regular freckles are a variant of sun spots, which is found in young individuals. These spots are blemishes on the skin caused by aging and exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
Freckles may appear in very young individuals with fair complexions. During the summer months freckles become more visible because of increased sun exposure.
Sun spots usually appear on the areas exposed to sun such as the face, neck, arms and shoulders and may range in colour from light brown to red or black.
Cause of Sun Spots
Sun spots are caused by uneven distribution of the skin pigment melanin. Melanin is produced by the skin in response to the sun's rays and helps to protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation.
From age 40 onwards our skin is less capable to repair itself from sun damage and age spots begin to develop in individuals in this age group, especially if they spend a lot of time in the sunlight.
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light from tanning beds may also lead to brown spots.
Do sun spots cause any harm?
Sun spots and freckles are usually harmless. They do not cause any other symptoms. However, if you notice rapid change in size, colour or shape of a sun spot, you should consult a medical doctor.
What makes it worse?
As sunlight is the cause of the sun spots, exposure to sun makes the spots darker. Age is also a factor in appearance of new skin pigmentation, as the skin loses its ability to regenerate as we get older.
What are the treatment options?
There are hundreds of over-the-counter creams promising freckle and sun spot treatment. Unfortunately, they are not as promising as they say.
Sun spots can be covered with corrective makeup. Regular use of sunblock creams may also lighten sun spots and freckles.
Today, modern technology and science give us some highly effective treatment methods. Lasers and IPL technology are leading the way in treatment of pigment lesions and can be very effective in removing sun spots.
The fractional laser and intense pulsed light technologies are the driving power behind our sun spot and freckle treatment procedures. Pulses of laser light aim at dark pigment destroying it and making it lighter. Healing time is minimal, infection risk is eliminated and little to no pain is felt.
In our clinic we use state of the art system combining laser and IPL technology to achieve the best individual results.
| Before and After Photos of Sun Spot Treatment*,** | |
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before treatment |
after treatment |
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| *Individual results may vary. **Images are courtesy of Palomar Medical |
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What to expect after treatment
You may experience redness, warmth, swelling, or tightness of the treated area, which typically fades within a few hours after treatment. Generally, you can receive a treatment and go back to work without any recovery time. The spots will darken after treatment and naturally shed from the skin within 1 or 2 weeks.
As sunlight is the main provoking factor for sun spots, it is important to use creams with sun protection at all times. At our clinic we carry variety of sunscreens that could be used to achieve best results.
How much will it cost?
The price of sun spot treatment depends on the size of the affected area. To receive individual pricing information, please make an appointment with our staff.