Sun Damage
The above photos are before and afters of patients actually treated at The Colorado Laser Clinic
Sun Damage
Sun damage or Photo-aging of the skin is a direct result of UVA and UVB light exposure. It doesn’t matter if you acquire your tan directly from the sun or from a sun tanning salon, the result is still the same – sun damage. UVA and UVB light both damage and age the skin. UVB are the burning rays that cause the skin to sunburn. UVA wave lengths cause the skin to age with wrinkles, freckles, age spots, spider veins, Rosacea and cause skin cancers. Sunlight is the major cause of skin cancer and skin aging.
The Colorado Laser Clinic offers patients a variety of lasers, light sources, and chemical peels that treat sun damage and photo-aging. IPL or Photo-rejuvenation, fractionated resurfacing with the Fraxel, CO2 laser resurfacing and Spectra Peel and Nd/Yag lasers can also be used to treat Photo-aging. Patients are evaluated to see which treatment protocol will best treat their particular skin type and condition.
Before IPL After 5 Treatments
(The above patients were treated by Victoria Motazedi, PEP,PE)
IPL also known as Photo-rejuvenation is a light based treatment that is designed to produce younger and healthier looking skin. It can treat a number of facial issues like Rosacea, freckles, pigmented lesions, sun induced hyperpigmentation, melasma and can help smooth out rough skin and reduce large pores. Most patients will need between two to five treatments every two to three weeks to achieve maximum result. With little or no down time, IPL can be done at any point during the day with the resumption of normal activities immediately after treatment. Exposure to the sun must be limited prior and after treatment with the use of at least a 50 SPF sunscreen for those individuals that enjoy outdoor activities. Patients with recent suntans and/or sunburn can not be treated until the area has faded back to a normal state. IPL devices have been used for over fifteen years and have proved themselves to be an effective and well tolerated treatment for sun damage. The Colorado Laser Clinic has been providing IPL treatments to its patients for more than ten years and has performed over 11,000 treatments.
The Nd/Yag Short Pulse lasers like the Medlite or Lutronic can remove simple pigmented lesions like freckles and flat age spots in one to two treatments. The laser is used to treat only the pigmented spots and offers patients a more selective way of dealing with their sun damage. Patients will experience very little downtime and makeup can be applied to the treated areas within three to four days.
Melasma and Sun Damage Before After 2 Fraxel™ Treatments
(This patient was treated by Victoria Motazedi, PEP, PE)
Fraxel™ or Fractionated Resurfacing is an excellent way to treat photo-damage, fine to moderate wrinkles, large pores as well as tightening loose skin. Fractional resurfacing offers patients a treatment that really works, but has very little down time. Patients can return to normal activities and are able to apply makeup to the treated area three days following the procedure. Patients will be able to see a difference after one treatment, but will need to complete four to six treatments to obtain maximum results. The Colorado Laser Clinic has been performing fractionated resurfacing for four years and has completed over 1,000 Fraxel treatments.
Before After 1 CO2 Resurfacing
(This Patient was treated by Robert Motazedi, M.D.)
CO2 or Traditional Laser Resurfacing is considered to be the best treatment for patients with severe sun damage and photo-aging. Dr. Robert Motazedi has been performing CO2 Laser Resurfacing since 1993 and has treated well over 1,000 patients in his Colorado Springs clinic. CO2 offers patients results that can not be equaled by any other laser or light source. Most patients will experience at least a ten year reduction in the severity of their wrinkles and sagging skin, lightening and removal of sun induced pigmentation like melasma and sun spots, smoother and more refined skin texture and a reduction in the size of large pores.