As summer winds down, fall weather approaches and we start thinking about all the fun things that Sept/Oct/Nov bring!!!
We want to look our best for football season, Halloween and of course for all the Holiday parties we desperately hope resume! In anticipation of filling our social calendars, we start looking in the mirror ….. EEK! Quarantine and summer did a number on us, am I right?! New brown spots and freckles have emerged, our pores may seem larger from the heat and our face routines have fallen off the wagon!! HELP!! OK, we are here for ya!?
IPL PhotoFacial
Intense Pulse Light
The biggest complaint we hear from clients post summer is new or worsening pigmentation!! This can range from standard sun spots, age spots or full melasma (we will get into that in just a bit). IPL (Intense Pulse Light) is the gold standard for treatment of most pigmentation, lifting the dark spots right off to reveal glowing, pigment free skin!! IPLs are best done in a series of 4 treatments, spread 4 weeks apart. Expect slight redness the day of treatment and your sun spots to darken for a few days after treatment. Pigmentation will begin to “slough off” over roughly a week. You may wear light make up and resume working out the day after treatment!
Melasma
A unique type of pigmentation
Melasma is a unique type of pigmentation that is darker than a typical sun or age spot. It also has a patch like appearance and commonly appears across the upper lip, along the forehead, and posterior cheek or jawline. Unfortunately, it’s very commonly associated with birth control and/or pregnancy but can also be driven by thyroid issues. Melasma darkens for most people during the summer months due to direct sun exposure and heat. Although, there is no “fix” for melasma, we can greatly reduce its appearance with a variety of treatments.
Clients with mild melasma are typically started on effective, mineral based sunscreen and MiraBelle Skin Smooth Operator (retinol) or MiraBelle Skin Brighten Up Buttercup (product base contains multiple lightening ingredients). Retinol and other lighteners can be compounded into the product for added strength.
Clients with moderate to severe melasma are also started on the above skin care regimen. Simultaneously, we begin a series of chemical peels or microneedling with transexamic acid. To get technical on you – Transexamic Acid mitigates UV radiation–induced melanogenesis and neovascularization i.e. pigmentation lightens! Both chemical peels and microneedling have 3-5 days of downtime. We encourage you to maintain clean, make up-free skin while your skin heals. Once Melasma is controlled, our maintenance skin care protocols will keep your skin looking flawless even through the heat of summer time!
For more information on hyperpigmentation and melasma treatments, contact us today for a complimentary consultation.
