Submit your questions to our Skin Experts, we will gladly share our knowledge.
Ask Dérmica: Sun Spot Removal Edmonton
Dear Dérmica,
I have developed a few brown spots on my face over the summer and am wondering if there is anything you guys can do to remove them?
Thanks,
Lindsay
Dear Lindsay,
It sounds like you have some sun damage that has surfaced in the form of sun spots.
Sun spots usually appear in areas of high sun exposure such as the forehead, nose, cheeks, and decollate. They can also appear on the body, back of the hands, upper shoulders (especially on people who drive during times of the day when the sun is at its strongest), etc.
Sun spots are cells that were damaged by UV exposure. Typically this damage has been caused before the age of 18 and surfaces later on in life and become darkened with repeated or excessive sun exposure.
If your brown spots appeared over the summer, I can surmise that they are sun damaged cells that have surfaced in the form of sun spots with the recent sun exposure you experienced this summer.
In regards to your question on the removal of your brown spots, yes, we can most definitely remove your spots.
We will shed some light on repair and maintenance.
REPAIR
Dérmica’s IPL Photofacials are safe, non-invasive Advanced Skincare procedures that deliver immediate results. We offer different types of photofacials for different skin concerns, and in dealing with your specific concern, we would recommend Dérmica’s ACLARA ME photofacial .
Aclara ME works to removes pigment spots (brown spots/sun spots/ age spots) and damage affecting your face, neck, chest, hands, and arms.
Throughout the procedure, we deliver quick pulses of light to the targeted area penetrating between 535-580nm into your skin. This process breaks up the spot, which then brings the pigment to the surface and sheds the spot with your skins natural processes.
We perform all of our laser procedures using Sharplight’s Formax-VP System. The system features a number of safety-control attributes including a contact cooling tip that cools the skin being treated, adding maximum comfort and protection.
Best of all, there is no downtime required for this procedure. An ACLARA ME photofacial takes 15-30 minutes, after which you can continue your daily routine!
MAINTENANCE
As we mentioned earlier, most damage has been caused before the age of 18 and surfaces later on in life and becomes darkened with repeated or excessive sun exposure.
Having said this, we recommend reading our
Anti Aging tips
and of course, always use sun block, sun block, sun block!!! Sun block is vital, even in the winter months.
Thanks Lindsay for your question, we hope we were able to help.
This article discusses anti aging tips. As some of you may know, we have a “Ask Dérmica” category on our blog. We always reply to our followers, and sometimes publish an entry when it pertains to a popular topic. This week we received an entry which we feel is a topic we would like to shed some light on. Thanks to “Sadly Sagging” for the latest entry!
“Sadly Sagging” asks “What are your best anti aging tips?”
In order to share her story, we will give you some of her details:
Female
35 years old
Smoker
Tanner
In response to “Sadly Sagging”, we reply:
Dear Sadly Sagging,
Thank you for your question. According to your entry, our recommendations for you are few, yet can be difficult to accomplish.
Firstly, we recommend you try and get a good night sleep. During our sleep, we go through REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep which is basically our brain going through all of the information we acquired and experienced throughout the day and deleting unnecessary information. This is a whole body experience which means all of your cells require rest, including your skin cells.
When you don’t get good shut-eye, your skin cells don’t get to regenerate which decreases your skin’s ability to recover from daily damage which in turn doubles your signs of aging.
Secondly, we recommend you try to decrease your sugar intake. Sugar binds to the cells in your skin and produces.
Advanced Glycation End (AGE) products through the process of glycation, making cells stiffer, less pliable and more subject to damage and premature aging. Sugar kills collagen and elastin, and slows down the body’s defense system and natural supplies of antioxidants to your body’s defense towards environmental attacks such as UV exposure, environmental pollutants, cosmetic influences, etc.
Thirdly, we know this one is especially tough during the summer months, tan responsibly. We would like to take this opportunity to dismiss the myth that you don’t tan if you wear sun block. This is UNTRUE!! Allow us to shed some light:
When you engage in unprotected tanning, you have a 74% higher risk of developing melanomas, a.k.a. skin cancer. Melanomas are skin lesions that can develop into carcinogenic regions; always have you moles checked out
Unprotected tanning can lead to a leathery appearance to your skin due to dehydration
Unprotected tanning can cause deep internal damage to your skin. FYI- every time your body creates a tan, your body is sending melanin cells to the surface of your skin to create a protective barrier that acts like sunglasses to your skin, your skin’s natural defense to harmful UV rays. In other words, your tan is truly your skin showing signs of its defense against an attack
Today’s sun is more damaging to your skin then it was 20 years ago due to the depleting ozone
The damage you are causing now will surface in 5 years in the form of sun spots, age spots(which can be confused with liver spots), and increased freckling on the skin
Unprotected tanning destroys collagen and elastin which add to the suppleness and elasticity and volume to your skin
Finally, the most difficult tip of all, you have to try and decrease (if not quit) your tobacco intake. We all know the downfall of smoking, but to some of us, we may need to hear what it does to our physicality before we can really understand, so here goes:
Asphyxiation of the skin, blocking it from proper flow of oxygen, blood circulation and nutrients such as H2O
Premature aging such as age spots, deep wrinkles, creping around the labial area due to repeated usage of the oral muscles and constant exposure to cigarette toxins within the tobacco smoke
Crows feet due to squinting to keep smoke out of your eyes
Smoking causes dilation of the blood vessels in the eyes making your eyes look blood shot
Vasodilation (dilation of the blood vessels of the capillaries along the surface of the skin particularly on the cheek and nose)
Sallow skin and lips (a yellowish dull appearance and decrease in vibrancy to the skin). For women that are concerned with the fullness of your skin, you may want to consider what smoking is doing to that full, plump, youthful pout
Hope this helps! And remember, at Dérmica, we offer an array of services and products to help you get a leg up on your fight against anti aging!
ALISA is Dérmica’s very own Skin Resurfacing/ Skin Rejuvenation/ Skin Tightening laser treatment in Edmonton.
Skin Resurfacing Edmonton, ALISA – FAQs
How does the ALISA ME Rx work?
ALISA is a Skin Rejuvenation or Skin Resurfacing treatment. In other words, it reverses the signs of aging through the non-traumatic removal of skin surface layers that induce neocollagenesis (the production of new collagen).
Following the removal of surface skin layers though selective photothermolysis, the body’s natural wound-healing response begins to regenerate the epidermis and the underlying wounded skin layers, which gives an overall glow and youthful look to the skin, but more specifically, treats fine lines and wrinkles and minimizes large pores.
What is Selective Photothermolysis?
Selective Photothermolysis is a method that destroys a specified target without damaging the surrounding tissue. The method consists of irradiating the target with pulsed visible radiation. As a result, the targeted area is heated above body temperature which causes the proteins to coagulate. Because the target absorbs the radiation much more strongly than the surrounding tissue, this surrounding tissue is almost not heated at all.
Is the ALISA ME Rx safe at 65 years old?
Absolutely! There are no contraindications based on age since light-based treatments are safe and non-invasive.
How many treatments are required?
Your skin needs the time needed to recover and produce new collagen. Therefore, the typical regimen is an average of 5 treatment sessions, spaced 4 weeks apart. However, the number of treatments is completely up to you depending on the results you desire. Having said that, we do not recommend over 12 treatments in one year.
How long is the recovery phase? Is there any downtime?
ALISA does NOT require any downtime whatsoever! You can come in during your lunch hour and return to work and no one will ever know why you look better than you did in the morning! ;)
How long does a treatment take?
This depends on the different treatments you would like during your session, however, a full ALISA photofacial takes 15-30 minutes, after which you can continue your daily routine.
Are photofacials safe?
Our Skin Experts are knowledgeable on our technology and on the biology of the skin. Our team is lead by experts in the field with over 15 years of experience in medical esthetics treatments. This increases the safety of all of our treatments. Our treatments are non-invasive and safe, with minimum side effects if any at all. Side effects could possibly include:
Discomfort (stinging sensation up to one hour after treatment)
Change of pigmentation (most cases occur on people with darker skin and can be avoided by conducting a test patch)
Fragile Skin (skin may become temporarily fragile)
Purpura (purple bruising lasting from 5-15 days)
Scarring (may happen on darker skin but still, very rare)
Questions or concerns? We’d be happy to hear from you!
Dérmica MedEsthetics (780) 885-7108 dermica.ca Love, Peace, and Great Skin!
Q: How does the treatment work on superficial blood vessels?A: The applied IPL-DPC is absorbed by the oxyhemoglobin (formed by the combination of hemoglobin with oxygen, present in oxygenated blood) in the blood within the vessel, causing the blood to coagulate and the vessel to break up into particles that are naturally filtered away through the body’s lymphatic system.
Q: What is IPL-DPC? A: IPL-DPC stands for Intense Pulse Light- Dynamic Pulse Control. This treatment emits a light beam into the skin which is absorbed by different skin lesions. Through selective photothermolysis, this light pulse selectively destroys a specified target without damaging the surrounding tissue. The DPC technology means that we can determine the “aggressiveness” of the treatment based on the duration of the pulse; shorter pulses are more aggressive, delivering the light beam in a shorter period of time, while longer pulses are less aggressive as they have a longer period to deliver the light beam. The different range of pulse durations results in a major increase in the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.
Q: How many treatments are required? A: The typical regimen is an average of 6 treatment sessions, spaced 6 weeks apart. However, the number of treatments is completely up to you depending on the results you desire.
Q: How long is the recovery phase? Is there any downtime? A: The ALIVIA ME Rx does NOT require any downtime whatsoever! You can come in during your lunch hour and return to work and no one will ever know why you look better than you did in the morning! ;)
Q: How long does a treatment take? A: This depends on the different treatments you would like during your session, however, a full ALIVIA ME photo facial Rx takes 15-30 minutes, after which you can continue your daily routine.
Q: Is the ALIVIA ME Rx painful? A: No, during the procedure, a slight, momentary stinging sensation may be felt, comparable to the snapping of a small elastic band, but not pain.
Q: Is the ALIVIA ME Rosacea Treatment Safe? A: Our Skin Experts are knowledgeable on our technology, AND on the biology of the skin. This increases the safety of all of our treatments. Our treatments are non-invasive and safe, with minimum side effects if any at all. Side effects could possibly include:
Discomfort (stinging sensation up to one hour after treatment)
Change of Pigmentation (most cases occur on people with darker skin and can be avoided by conducting a test patch
Fragile Skin (skin may become temporarily fragile)
Purpura (purple bruising lasting from 5-15 days)
Scarring (may happen on darker skin but still, very rare)
Call Dérmica to book your consultation!
Dérmica MedEsthetics
(780) 885 7108
dermica.ca
FAQs on our Dark Spot Corrector Tx in Edmonton, ACLARA
TECHNOLOGY
How does this dark spot corrector treatment get rid of pigmented lesions?
Targeted areas absorb the pulse light, breaking the pigmented lesion into tiny particles. These particles rise to the surface of the skin as scabs that naturally slough off with exfoliation within 1-2 weeks.
What is IPL-DPC?
IPL-DPC stands for Intense Pulse Light- Dynamic Pulse Control. Phototherapy treatments emit a light beam into the skin that is absorbed by different skin lesions.
Through selective photothermolysis, the light pulse destroys a specified target without damaging the surrounding tissue. Through DPC technology we can determine the “aggressiveness” of the treatment based on the duration of the pulse.
Shorter pulses are more aggressive, delivering the light beam in a shorter period of time. Longer pulses are less aggressive as they have a longer period to deliver the light beam.
The different range of pulse durations results in a major increase in the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.
Is ACLARA safe?
Our Skin Experts are knowledgeable on our chosen technology and the biology of the skin. As a result, this increases the safety of all of our treatments. Above all, our treatments are non-invasive with minimum side effects if any at all. Side effects could possibly include:
Discomfort (stinging sensation up to one hour after treatment)
Change of Pigmentation (most cases occur on people with darker skin and can be avoided by conducting a test patch
Fragile Skin (skin may become temporarily fragile)
Purpura (purple bruising lasting from 5-15 days)
Scarring (may happen on darker skin but still, very rare)
TREATMENT
How many ACLARA treatments are required?
The typical regimen is an average of 6-8 treatment sessions, spaced 3-4 weeks apart. However, the number of treatments is completely up to you depending on the results you desire.
How long is the recovery phase? Is there any downtime?
ACLARA does NOT require any downtime whatsoever! You can come in during your lunch hour and return to work and no one will ever know why you look better than you did in the morning! ;)
How long does a treatment take?
This depends on the different treatments you would like during your session, however, a full face ACLARA photofacial takes 30-45 minutes, after which you can continue your daily routine.
Are photofacials painful?
No, during the procedure, a slight, momentary stinging sensation may be felt, comparable to the snapping of a small elastic band, but not pain.
Dérmica MedEsthetics (780) 885 7108 Love, Peace, and Great Skin!
How do I know if I’m a good candidate for IPL/ Laser Hair Removal?
This is a very common question, as not everyone is eligible to receive Laser/IPL treatments. Aside from considering your medical history and current skin care regimen, there are other determining factors.
Fitzpatrick Scale
Firstly, the technician will categorize your skin tone using the Fitzpatrick Scale. The scale begins at a Level-I, such as Nicole Kidman, and gradually increases to the deeper tones of a Level-VI, such as Lupita Nyong’o.
The scale predicts how your skin will react to light-based treatments and the intensity in which to treat your skin. However, there are limitations to treating beyond a level-V.
Adverse reactions such as burns and permanent scarring occur due to the pigment in the skin absorbing the energy emitted by the laser.
Hair tone
The second major factor in determining eligibility for treatment is the tone of the hair present.
Having a greater contrast between the colour of your hair and skin increases effectiveness. Additionally, a greater contrast between the colour of the present hair and skin tone increases reduction rate of your treatment and can shorten sessions required.
In order to successfully be treated for IPL/ Laser Hair Removal there must be a visible presence of melanin within the hair. Therefore, natural shades of light blonde, light red, grey, and white hair cannot be 100% successfully treated with IPL/ Laser hair removal.
Customizable settings
Your technician will adjust the settings accordingly per session as your hair colour and density changes throughout the course of your treatment.
Our technicians are educated in Laser/IPL therapy and the anatomy & physiology of skin. This allows us to properly assess, customize, and execute your treatments. Above all, it helps deliver results without compromising the integrity of your skin.
For any questions or concerns regarding IPL/ Laser Hair Removal , IPL Phototherapy, or Skin Care, give us a call at 780.885.7108 or submit your questions in our “Ask Dérmica” feature!
