Photo Caption: Light therapy is an extremely safe, practical alternative to re-energize aging skin while alleviating harmful sun damage.

Spot Check: The Secret to Repairing Sun-Damaged Skin

Now that some of summer’s hottest months are wrapping up, it’s the perfect time to reassess your skincare habits. Long vacations on the beach usually mean a bit of fun in the sun, which is perfectly fine—but it’s important to be proactive against harmful UV rays.

Over the years, we may notice changes to our skin caused by sun damage, like red or brown patches. It’s difficult to take preventative measures against wrinkles, facial lines, age spots, and loose skin, which are all very common signs of aging. On the other hand, a lifetime of unchecked sun exposure and improper skin protection increases the risk of skin cancer, UV-damaged skin, and unwanted sunspots. Since surgical procedures can be risky and involve a much longer recovery time, many medical professionals use forms of phototherapy, also called light therapy, to treat various skin conditions.

What Is Phototherapy?

Phototherapy uses different wavelengths of natural or man-made light to treat medical skin conditions. According to an article from the National Library of Medicine, the use of phototherapy dates back to ancient Egypt and India. People used herbal extracts along with periods of sunlight exposure to treat skin diseases such as vitiligo, a disorder where the skin loses its pigment.

Medical light therapy procedures can be broken down into a couple of categories:

• Narrow and Broadband UVB: this treatment uses small amounts of ultraviolet light at differing wavelengths to improve the skin’s health and appearance.
• PUVA: this type of treatment combines an oral drug, Psoralen, with long-wave ultraviolet radiation to help contend with the most severe skin disorders.
• Light Emitting Diode (LED): this treatment delivers low-energy light deep within the layers of skin to promote healing and collagen production.
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL): often called “photo rejuvenation,” IPL therapy emits multiple wavelengths of light all at once to stimulate collagen, a protein that restores skin cells for more supple skin.

Am I An Ideal Candidate For Phototherapy?

Phototherapy emits a therapeutic light that works to slow skin cell growth and decrease inflammatory responses from the body’s immune system. Numerous skin disorders are treatable with phototherapy such as:

• • Eczema
  • Psoriasis
  • Vitiligo
  • Rosacea
  • Melasma (discoloration)
  • Atopic dermatitis

It is always best to consult with a medical professional to determine which type of phototherapy treatment is most effective for your situation and skin type. Some patients have mild skin issues and aesthetic concerns such as irritation and redness, age spots, wrinkles, sagging skin, and acne breakouts. Light therapy is a fantastic option to smooth uneven complexion, lessen severe melasma spots, and balance out areas of hyperpigmentation. For those looking to diminish outward signs of aging or reverse sun-damage as quickly as possible, Forever Young BBL may be the perfect solution.

What’s Forever Young BBL?

Forever Young BBL is an innovative broadband light technology developed by Sciton, an industry leader in the advancement of medical aesthetic technology. It is a form of IPL therapy that treats multiple skin conditions at once by delivering heat energy deep within the layers of skin. It can change the genetic expression of genes associated with aging and reverse damage from sunburns and UV rays. In one 15-minute session, BBL reduces discoloration from burst blood vessels and veins, brown or red spots, freckles, and other indicators of aging while stimulating collagen to provide a more youthful, refreshed appearance. As an added benefit, Forever Young BBL is a gentle, non-invasive procedure with little to no downtime, so patients can immediately resume their normal activities following an appointment.

More recently, Sciton has released a new generation of BBL called BBL HERO, which stands for High Energy Rapid Output. BBL HERO augments the light therapy procedure to treat larger areas of skin (such as the back, arms, and legs), providing more powerful results in less than half the time! After a few sessions of BBL, patients typically start experiencing a clearer, smoother, and fuller complexion. For the best results, Jiva Med Spa recommends treatments to be scheduled at 3-4 week intervals. After each session, patients must avoid direct sun exposure as it can irritate and damage their complexion. Additional skincare products are recommended to alleviate lingering effects for those with more sensitive skin.

Additional Light Therapy Procedures At Jiva Med Spa

Sunscreen, long-sleeve shirts, hats, and sunglasses are all great ways to take precaution from the sun. That said, fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, and loose skin are an inevitable part of aging – but thankfully, modern solutions in the field of aesthetic skincare are widely accessible and continue to grow!

At Jiva Med Spa, we offer the industry’s most cutting-edge phototherapy treatments that minimize outward signs of aging and sun damage to achieve healthier, renewed skin:

• SkinTyte II: A non-invasive phototherapy treatment that utilizes infrared light to deeply heat dermal collagen. The concentrated pulses of energy increases collagen in the body to rebuild a firmer tissue structure and achieve more elastic, youthful skin
• HALO: A photo rejuvenation procedure that uses lasers with two different wavelengths to repair sun-damaged skin, minimize wrinkles and facial lines, and give treated areas a healthier, radiant glow.
• ProFractional: An age-defying laser energy treatment that heats skin tissue to promote the healing of burns, scars, and other blemishes while revitalizing skin tone and texture of targeted areas.

No matter which light therapy treatment you choose, we believe everyone deserves to look and feel their best – regardless of their age or skincare history. Light therapy is only one way to begin the healing process, and it may not be for everyone. We encourage you to discuss your options with one of our Jiva Med Spa professionals at our Columbus (614-421-7546), Dayton (937-705-9430), or Cincinnati (513-834-1770) med spa locations.

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EXCLUSIVE BLOG OFFER: When you schedule a consultation with us, mention our September blog for 25% OFF your first Forever Young BBL session!