Hyperpigmentation treatment in Edmonton
We are specialized in all types of hyperpigmentation treatment. “Age spots”, “sun spots”, or simply dark skin on the face are all different types of skin hyperpigmentation. No matter what you call it, it feels like the only thing people see. In truth, we all get spots on our skin as we age. For those of us with dark skin, it’s really only noticeable to us. Light skinned folks, though, can have dark spots that feel unsightly. In some cases, a person’s face can be completely covered in a shade of brown.
What causes hyperpigmentation?
Hyperpigmentation treatment in Edmonton relies on controlling melanin production by melanocytes, which are the melanin-producing cells. . But, what is melanin? Melanin is the pigment that gives as the skin color and the UV protection. Hormones or sun damage can cause the melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, to begin producing the brown pigmentation. Melanin, not to be confused with the skin melanoma, is a harmless, natural pigmentation. It’s the pigmentation that creates dark skin. On light colored skin, it usually manifests as a tan, freckles, and, later in life, as age spots and sun spots.
Hyperpigmentation is when these normal skin coloration get out of control and become a nuisance.
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation - These are the dark spots left behind when a zit goes away. They are often all over the face of someone who had moderate to severe acne.
- Photoaging - Sun spots, technically called photo aging, appears usually on the face. The prolonged sun exposure and lack of sunblocker are the reason for all photoaging problem
- Melasma - These are gray-brown patches that are usually caused by hormones, normally during pregnancy. For most women, it will resolve itself after the baby is born, but it can persist even after.
- Freckles - This tiny little brown spots are cute on the face of a child, but can become more severe as we age and expose them to the sun.
There are some lesser known forms of hyperpigmentation, but they all come down to the same thing: There’s too much melanin in the skin.
Treating Hyperpigmentation
At Albany Laser and Cosmetic Center, Dr. Kamal Alhammik (“Dr. Kamal”), PhD Pharmacy, leads a team of nurses and technicians that use various techniques to treat the three main concerns of hyperpigmentation: skin resurfacing, melanocytes, and melanin overproduction.
- Topical creams - We’ve created several formulas of cream that include a chemical peel, a fruit acid peel, skin lightening, and anti-tyrosinase (an enzyme the prompts the production of melanin). At Albany Laser and Cosmetic Center, we offer some specially compounding lightening creams as part of your overall skin treatment. We offer some prescription lightening creams that can help our lasers get rid of those spots of hyperpigmentation.
- Skin peel - Using Lamyxal solution, this is an advanced form of microdermabrasion that is both mechanical peeling and anti-tyrosinase.
- Poly-peptide solution with microneedling - This will inhibit the production melanin and reduce the appearance of the dark patches of melasma.
- Nano-second Q-switch laser - This is the workhorse laser for hyperpigmentation removal and prevention. The laser reaches below the skin to the melanocytes. Using the power of light to destroy the cells that produce the dark color, we’re able to prevent future production of the dark patches.
- Fraxel Dual Laser - This laser also reaches below the skin at different frequencies than the Q-switch. It’s able to reach into different layers of the dermis and also causes a natural skin peeling.
- Fotona Laser is one if its kind. It utilize the water molecule as a chromophore, in other words it isa color-blind laser. Therefore, it is save on all skin types and colors. Moreover, we use it in combination with other type of treatment for hyperpgimentation.
Is hyperpigmentation a problem?
In most cases, there is no significant health issues associated with hyperpigmentation. As you can see from above, hyperpigmentation is a remnant of prior skin disorder. It’s usually the result of an old scar that healed after damaging the melanin producing cells right under the dermis.
It’s not difficult to get rid of hyperpigmentation with the right laser treatment that helps to correct those cells and stops the overproduction of melanin.
What are the hyperpigmentation tretament side effects?
It depends on the treatment and protocol, however, the most concerning problem is getting the pigmentation lesion darker. Most of inexperience laser users choose the wrong settings or the wrong laser. Therefore, it is important to choose the right laser centre to get the treatments. On the other hands, not sharing your medical history might results in problemtic side effects. For example taking some mode altering medication results in skin photo sensitivity, therefore all laser treatment should be avoided
How much does the treatment protocol cost
Depneding on the protocl, the prices vary between 300 to 1500. The best is to book a free consultation to get a better idea on this matter
What to expect at Albany Laser and Cosmetic Center
Depending on the severity and the cause of your pigmentation, the expert at our centre will desgine a protocle that fit your case. You might see results right away, but the real results begin to show about a week after the first laser treatment. This is because the production of melanin will have stopped and the brown skin cells will begin to fall away. Bonus: These treatments are also great for treating acne and other skin disorders.
However, before starting laser treatment, we might need to get you other treatments such as silk peel. You might also get to use a cream for couple of week before intiation any laser
What laser do we use?
There is no clear answer for this question! At Albany Cosemtic and laser centre, we offer best laser machine in the skin care insudtry such as Spectra nano-second, Fraxel Dual with two wave lenfth and Fotona erbium yag laser. The combination is important to provide best results for hyperpigmentation treatment.
After one week, there should be a significant reduction in the appearance of darker skin, as well as a new glow of young, healthy skin.
“There is a lot that we can do to help someone with melasma, sun spots, age spots, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, the dark spots caused by acne,” said Dr. Kamal, Doctorate of Pharmacy. “Using the power of chemistry, laser light, and microneedling, we’re able to provide many of our patients with dramatic improvements in the appearance of hyperpigmentation.
“For many of our clients, hyperpigmentation is traumatic simply because it appears most frequently on the face. What was clear, pink skin early in life becomes covered with brown or brownish grey spots that make one feel old. It can feel like no one sees your face; they only see the spots.”
The reality is, as Dr. Kamal explains it, hyperpigmentation is one of the most treatable disorders that we see. The use of lasers and other treatments have shown immense success in treating these disorders and allowing patients to look the way that they would like to. Best of all, the treatments don’t take a long time and usually don’t need to be repeated too many times.
To know what course of action is best for your needs, schedule an appointment with Dr. Kamal and the team at Albany Laser and Cosmetic Center in Edmonton. They can help you plan a course of action that will help you feel great about your skin.