TurquoiseTalk

October, 2006

Lawrence J. Fliegelman, MD - medical director

As the summer comes to a close and the fall begins, we see increased numbers of clients looking for advice on ways to undo the harmful effects of the sun. Whether it is premature skin aging, broken capillaries, brown spots or precancerous lesions, these can be effectively treated and eliminated with several noninvasive techniques.

The most important advice is avoidance and protection from the sun. Avoid the sun if you can and if you are going out, even a short walk or a drive, protect yourself. Hats, umbrellas and dark clothing work very well but exposed skin must be protected with sunblock. Ultraviolet radiation especially UV-A and UV-B are responsible for causing skin cancer as well as premature skin aging. An effective sunblock must be worn at all times and should block both UV-A and UV-B rays and contains zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and avobenzene as their active ingredients.

Treating sun-damaged skin once it has occurred is equally important. Routine skin examinations and mole checks are crucial so that suspicious lesions can be biopsied and removed. Noninvasive treatments are now available for treating sun damaged skin as well as precancerous lesions. Intense pulsed light (IPL) is a device that uses several intense wavelengths of light to reverse the effects of the sun. Light is delivered in pulses to the skin causing a reversal of the sun damage. Broken capillaries and brown spots are removed and collagen in the skin is stimulated to repair itself causing the skin to tighten. Recently released is amino-levulanic acid, which is a drug that is used to make the skin more sensitive to light. Sun damage, precancerous lesions and oil glands that cause acne are targeted by the drug. The drug is left on for 30 minutes and IPL is then performed treating these areas. Photo rejuvenation is performed more effectively and acne is reduced and precancerous skin lesions treated.

If you would like to learn more about these effective treatments, we invite you to call, schedule a free consultation or contact us through this website.