My birthday is coming up so I decided to have a spa day on Saturday. Instead of having a relaxing facial or massage I opted for a little sprucing up. Nothing huge like surgery but a little something something.
Not sure how many of you spent your younger past life in the sun or the tanning beds but let me tell you in your late 30's and 40's all that sun worshiping catches up with you. In fact, if we were to count my age by age spots I'd be 200.
For years I have tried bleaching creams combined with SPF 500 and no improvement so it was time to bring out the big guns; Photo Rejuvenation or IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). For those of you who haven't tried this route I copied and pasted some info for you.
IPL can be used to reverse the signs of aging. It helps to treat pigmentation and blemishes, sun damage and age spots, dilated capillaries and veins, reducing the redness caused by rosacea and improving acne.
IPL, uses a spectrum of light energy to destroy pigmentary changes in the skin, eliminate facial veins and capillaries, and destroy the bacteria and reduce sebum production that causes acne.
The pulses of light feel like the snap of a rubber band.
Some clients may experience some temporary redness or irritation. This generally lasts a few hours to a day.
An IPL treatment is very efficient. It takes only about 15-30 minutes to treat the entire face from start to finish.
Anywho ~ I've had quite a few areas treated before so generally I knew what I was in for but I have to say having my entire face done in one sitting was quite the experience. The technician was nice enough to give me some breaks but I have to tell you it hurt like nobodies business both during and for a few hours after. Honestly I thought my face was on fire about 5 minutes after we finished.
By evening the pain had subsided and I was beginning to 'pepper' as they call it. Each day a bit more 'pepper' washes or flakes off to reveal pink unblemished skin beneath. I am a few more days away from seeing all the 'peppering' gone but can already see a huge improvement with removal of the sun spots and discoloration. I also found the capillaries around my nose - those broken veins around the corners of your nose that are red 3/4 of the year round due to allergies - are gone.
Was it worth it? Yes.
Would I do it again? Not my entire face in one setting but definitely spot treatments.
Advice? Get out of the sun ... now!
Not sure how many of you spent your younger past life in the sun or the tanning beds but let me tell you in your late 30's and 40's all that sun worshiping catches up with you. In fact, if we were to count my age by age spots I'd be 200.
For years I have tried bleaching creams combined with SPF 500 and no improvement so it was time to bring out the big guns; Photo Rejuvenation or IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). For those of you who haven't tried this route I copied and pasted some info for you.
IPL can be used to reverse the signs of aging. It helps to treat pigmentation and blemishes, sun damage and age spots, dilated capillaries and veins, reducing the redness caused by rosacea and improving acne.
IPL, uses a spectrum of light energy to destroy pigmentary changes in the skin, eliminate facial veins and capillaries, and destroy the bacteria and reduce sebum production that causes acne.
The pulses of light feel like the snap of a rubber band.
Some clients may experience some temporary redness or irritation. This generally lasts a few hours to a day.
An IPL treatment is very efficient. It takes only about 15-30 minutes to treat the entire face from start to finish.
Anywho ~ I've had quite a few areas treated before so generally I knew what I was in for but I have to say having my entire face done in one sitting was quite the experience. The technician was nice enough to give me some breaks but I have to tell you it hurt like nobodies business both during and for a few hours after. Honestly I thought my face was on fire about 5 minutes after we finished.
By evening the pain had subsided and I was beginning to 'pepper' as they call it. Each day a bit more 'pepper' washes or flakes off to reveal pink unblemished skin beneath. I am a few more days away from seeing all the 'peppering' gone but can already see a huge improvement with removal of the sun spots and discoloration. I also found the capillaries around my nose - those broken veins around the corners of your nose that are red 3/4 of the year round due to allergies - are gone.
Was it worth it? Yes.
Would I do it again? Not my entire face in one setting but definitely spot treatments.
Advice? Get out of the sun ... now!
