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The sun is a symbol of happiness and positive thinking, but every rose has its thorn – and the Royal Oak sun is no different. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little tan – in fact, daily sunlight is encouraged – but there is such a thing as getting too much sun, and it’s doing a lot more skin damage than you’d think.
Wrinkles, enlarged blood vessels, freckles, brown spots, hyperpigmentation, melasma, blackheads, age spots, loss of skin tone, spider veins – the sun may be bright, but there’s a dark side to it that most people don’t even recognize until it’s too late. At Avenue 1 Aesthetics, it’s never too late – there’s hope, after all!
Look, we’re all for the ‘sun’s out, guns out’ lifestyle, but let’s lay some ground rules:
Not protecting your skin from the sun will result in something called photoaging – when the skin ages prematurely due to excessive exposure to UV rays. If you’re starting to experience some of the warning signs or symptoms listed above, don’t panic – there are ways to regain that youthful glow in your skin!
Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy is one of the most effective treatments for sun-damaged skin. The IPL device works like a laser, but it creates a variety of wavelengths of light – whereas lasers only produce one. This allows the device to treat a broader range of skin structures at once – a major win for your skin!
So, how does IPL therapy work?
Alright, without getting too scientific, IPL therapy involves sending pulses of high-energy light deep within the skin’s surface. The light energy is absorbed by chromophores (such as melanin), where it’s converted into thermal energy (heat) – which damages the target cells, causing them to break down and disappear.
In other words, IPL uses light to heat sun-damaged skin – igniting the body’s natural healing process. Compared to laser treatment, IPL therapy is much more gentle on the skin and less destructive – which translates to a much more non-invasive procedure with less downtime and an easier recovery process.
IPL therapy sounds great, but what is all this talk about Lumecca IPL? Well, let’s just say it’s the gold standard in the IPL community – it’s taking skin rejuvenation to an entirely new level. It’s essentially the same IPL procedure we’ve grown to know and love through the years, but a far more advanced version.
Two of the most prominent advancements introduced by Lumecca are:
It’s a quick procedure, most people notice an improvement right away (and continued improvement over the next 1-2 months), it’s FDA-approved, and it can treat a number of different skin problems in one sitting – what’s not to love about this revolutionary device? There’s a reason everyone’s hyping it up – it works!
Traditional IPL was a breakthrough procedure when it first came out, but the industry is slowly starting to shift to Lumecca IPL – the younger brother who’s better at practically everything. It’s even less invasive than before, doesn’t harm the surrounding skin, and can treat a variety of skin conditions and issues.
DID YOU KNOW? Lumecca IPL consists of two devices – one with a spectrum of 515-1200nm (which is used for lighter skin) and one with a spectrum of 580-1200nm (which is used for darker skin).
To be honest, there are a number of reasons why Lumecca outperforms traditional IPL, but the four most prominent are that it’s suitable for all skin types, it produces faster results, there’s no downtime or recovery period, and it can treat both pigmented and vascular lesions. Let’s take a closer look at each!
Lumecca IPL features a high pulse repetition rate, which means it can treat larger areas in minimal time – the treatments are shorter, and fewer treatments are needed. You can expect the procedure to take about 30 minutes, but times vary. Results are noticeable after one session, but 2-4 sessions are usually needed.
One of the biggest downfalls of traditional IPL was that it was best reserved for light skin – darker skin types were discouraged because the cells were more difficult to break down. With Lumecca IPL, all skin types are welcome! This is primarily due to the high-energy light pulses, which create three times the energy.
Traditional IPL was already a non-invasive procedure, but Lumecca is known for being much more non-ablative – meaning it targets layers deep within the skin without damaging the top layers of the skin. Not only that, but the sapphire cooling tip increases comfortability and provides a therapeutic effect.
Another major downfall of traditional IPL therapy is that it can only treat pigmented skin lesions (freckles, hyperpigmentation, melasma, age spots). Lumecca, on the other hand, treats both pigmented and vascular lesions, which include spider veins, port wine stains, leg telangiectasias, and much more.
Does your body see an excessive amount of sunlight daily? Has your skin started to show signs of sun damage or photoaging? Are you seeking a non-invasive treatment to repair those pigmented and vascular lesions? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions above, then Lumecca IPL might be perfect for you!
Don’t worry – our expert team at Avenue 1 Aesthetics can help you go over your skincare options and give you a rundown of what to expect from Lumecca before you begin the procedure at our Royal Oak, MI office. To learn more about how IPL can help you repair sun-damaged and aging skin, contact us today!
