Great skin just in time for the holidays: IPL, Fraxel, Injectables with Linda Behla of SkinSpirit

Linda Behla, RN at SkinSpirit has been treating my skin with IPL procedures for the last couple months.

• IPL #1 – face, neck
• IPL #2 – face, neck, chest, hands
• IPL #3 – face, neck, chest hands (yesterday)

Trying to attack those stubborn brown and red spots from sun damage years ago is no simple task. But Linda knows what she’s doing!

Day2 Post-IPL Spots lifting

Chest décolleté: I see a big reduction in hyperpigmentation on my chest—where I’ve incurred the most sun damage… with more to come.

Rosacea: Linda was pleased with the diminished red blood vessels from rosacea on my face, especially around my nose and chin.

Sun spots: We’re having some difficulty with the sun spots on my cheeks which had been treated in the past with a laser. The damage goes to a deeper level below the skin than expected. Time to set the IPL strength to a higher level, says Linda. She also did more spot treatment on this third go around now that she’s seen how these spots have reacted so far.

Hands with hyperpigmentation: I look forward to making some progress on my hands too, an area which we haven’t focused on much yet. The annoying darkness around the scars is what needs the most help.

After two IPLs with Linda Behla, I see a significant reduction in skin spots and redness which results in clearer skin.

A person in the waiting room at SkinSpirit before my third IPL appointment said to me:

Your skin looks great already. I don’t even see the redness or brown spots. I hope my results are like yours!

Of course, I am probably seeing more imperfections than others since it’s my focus. Linda does as well since she’s a skin specialist. Our goal is: spot-free skin!

Skincare products: In between IPL #2 and #3 I used the TNS Complex human growth factor, both morning and night, to rejuvenate my skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and to enhance the skin texture and tone. Each night, stopping 3 days before today, I used Retin A and hydroquinone. The Retin A reduces wrinkles, which caused exfoliation and sensitive skin each morning. It was noticeably wiping away dead skin cells to make room for renewed ones. The hydroquinone lightened the darker spots.

New skin regimen: From this point going forward I will protect my skin with sunblock every day, even on the cloudiest days in winter. I especially need to remember that driving in a car (with a sunroof, despite the glare screen) is a big culprit to the brown sun spots on my face, sides of neck, chest and hands.

Linda believes that, in my case, the IPL is great for reducing redness and some brown but that a Fraxel (after we’ve gotten rid of the red) may be the best way to zap—and practically erase—the remaining brown.

What is a Fraxel? A Fraxel® is a laser procedure that restores your youthfulness by resurfacing the skin, resulting in smoother skin as well as improved tone and texture. We lose our youthfulness through the years from sun, pollution, stress and fatigue. The Fraxel® treatment uses a fractional laser technology by safely penetrating the skin layers in microscopic laser columns—leaving some cells untouched—to stimulate your own body’s natural healing abilities to produce new skin cells and generate new collagen. You’re left with fresh new glowing and healthy skin.

I am going to start saving up for a Fraxel treatment in the future, after seeing my IPL results of course.

Great skin for the holidays: Many procedures can help you look great for the holidays. Besides IPL to reduce red and brown spots, Linda Behla is an expert injector. BOTOX® or Dysport™ temporarily erase wrinkles (for many months) and fillers such as Restylane® and JUVÉDERM® fill in the gaps that appear when we age to restore a more youthful look.

Stay tuned for my IPL results.

© 2013 R.E.L. Copywriting

IPL photofacial for face, neck, chest and hands: To reduce brown and red spots with Linda Behla of SkinSpirit

Linda Behla, RN, SkinSpirit Mill Valley

My second IPL procedure was yesterday with Linda Behla from SkinSpirit. During round one we focused mainly on my face and neck, paying close attention to hyperpigmentation (brown spots) from sun damage and aging and also red vascular problems (i.e., pronounced blood vessels) from rosacea on my face.

Yesterday we added my chest (i.e., décolleté) and hands to the mix, totaling 4 areas.

In preparation, I have remained out of the sun, covered or with plenty of SPF 50 sunblock on my skin since I know the IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) targets the unwanted discoloration; in other words, my natural skin needs to be a natural (and light) as possible so that the colors stand out the most.

SkinSpirit lobby

SkinSpirit in Mill Valley has a cozy, secluded waiting room. I always look forward to arriving early just to hang out there, drink some of my favorite tea and some fruit-infused water.

The IPL procedure (face, neck, chest, hands):

Linda Behla analyzed my skin before we began treatment #2. The spots on my cheeks looked noticeably lighter to her, as well as the rosacea, but she decided that she wanted to go deeper this round. She was happy with the results from the first round and noticed that pigments are starting to come to the surface (soon to be erased with next IPL treatments).

As done prior to my previous IPL, I prepared the treated areas with topical numbing cream 45 minutes in advance. This helped tremendously with my nervous system and skin’s heat sensitivity from the IPL light.

Linda continued to be as caring and thoughtful of my comfort, while at the same time turning it up a notch for better results. Of course, the goal remains: erase most of the hyperpigmentation (i.e., brown spots) on my face, neck, chest and hands, and also reduce the redness in blood vessels on my face.

I will post photo comparisons as the days progress but here are the pre-IPL #2 photos:

pre-IPL hand

pre-IPL chest décolleté

pre-IPL2 rosacea

pre-IPL2 brown spots

Linda stressed the importance of skincare following my treatment and ongoing. She advised the following regimen for me (starting after inflammation cools):

Each morning:

1. Gentle cleanser
2. TNS Recovery Complex by SkinMedica – human growth factor
3. Phloretin by SkinCeuticals – antioxidant
4. Dermal Repair Cream by SkinMedica – moisturizer
5. SPF 50 – sunblock

Each evening before bed:

1. Gentle cleanser
2. TNS Recovery Complex by SkinMedica – human growth factor
3. Mixture of a) Tretinoin Cream by Obagi – Retin A and b) Blender – skin lightener with hydroquinone
4. Dermal Repair Cream

As needed in the next few days, I have Epidermal Repair by SkinCeuticals for itchiness.

Day 2:

I woke to more pronounced spots on all treated areas, especially my chest. Linda expected this as it’s where I have the most sun damage.

The only other side effect was that my face reacted with extra fluid under my eyes. It only lasted through the morning.

Linda said that this swelling edema under eyes is normal and is because the IPL targeted small tiny red vessels near my eyes.

No heated yoga for me this morning 😦

Days 3-6:

day4 post-IPL chest décolleté

Chest décolleté: I have the most sun damage here. We expect the best final results here. Linda is pleased with how much of the pigments are lifting.

I’ve experienced some very itchy skin for the last few days. I’m sticking strictly to the Epidermal Repair, topical Benadryl and ice. I’m staying out of the heat since this inflames the itch.

Face: Still a little swelling under eyes in the mornings up to day 5. Rosacea reduced significantly. Linda confirmed in person. She has a plan for attacking the brown spots with a higher strength for the next treatment since we are only seeing minor lifting (darker brown but not getting to the “coffee ground” stage).

Neck: Black specks formed on the darker spots and still there. I’ll wait for them to naturally come off.

day6 post-IPL hand

Hands: A few black specks have formed but Linda did mention that it would take longer to see results on my hands.

My skincare regimen: I’ve been following Linda’s advice and using the skin products above on my face, neck and hands (skipping chest for now until the inflammation calms).

I know for the most part that Phloretin is an antioxidant with vitamin C and protects against the sun, Retin A reduces wrinkles and hydroquinoine lightens the skin. But what about the human growth factor?

What is  human growth factor (TNS Recovery Complex by SkinMedica)? I’m all about cell regrowth. Before my IPL, I’d been using a cell stimulating facial mask which includes argan stem cell + chlorella growth factor, which is plant-based. TNS® official ingredient is Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media (a.k.a. adult human stem cells) and is a physiologically balanced, naturally secreted and stabilized combination of multiple natural messenger proteins.

What does that mean exactly? I wrote a previous article in this blog on how adult stem cells are used in plastic surgery and how they are found in all multi-cellular organisms. They are cells that can take on the identity of other cells (analogous to a chameleon regrowing its tail when it falls off), which are then conditioned in sugars and amino acids to grow. The proteins that are secreted from the cells are what goes into the serum.

The purpose of using TNS® is to rejuvenate skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and enhance skin texture and tone. There are many benefits to cell regrowth.

Days 7-9:

Chest décolleté: Today the itching resided. I have noticeable “brown coffee grounds” over a considerable number of spots.

My next appointment is scheduled for 2 weeks from now.

© 2013 R.E.L. Copywriting

IPL procedure with Linda Behla: Comfortable, effective removal of brown spots on face and neck

Linda Behla, RN, SkinSpirit

Yesterday I had my first face and neck IPL by Linda Behla, RN, at SkinSpirit.

I interviewed Linda to get her take on why she was so enthusiastic to do an IPL on me. She stated,

I chose an IPL procedure for you because you have the ideal skin and conditions. The spots on your light skin are so pronounced that it’s the first thing I see every time I look at your face. My guess is that you were a lifeguard in your earlier years. Your light skin that has aged through the years, with a history of extra sun, is now showing the typical brown spots that are congregated in certain areas.

The IPL procedure (up to 3-5 applications) will improve your skin tone by decreasing redness and reducing hyperpigmentation caused by sun exposure and age. People will definitely notice and ask you what you did to get such great skin! You will be blown away by the results.

I learned that the IPL will not only reduce the brown hyperpigmentation and red veins (i.e., rosacea) but that beneath the skin’s surface, there will be some cell regrowth, skin tightening and collagen stimulation.

That all sounds good to me…

pre-IPL

Pre IPL treatment: Before my appointment, since I am such a wimp for pain, I didn’t want to take a chance so I applied a heavy dose of topical Lidocaine to my face and neck 45 minutes prior to the procedure. My face was pretty numb at that point. Extra numb.

Procedure:  All went well—actually, better than I expected.

First, Linda took some photos so that we could analyze the before-and-after results. I got some protective eyewear to block out the intense light during the procedure. Linda washed my face and neck with specially-formulated cleanser, applied some ice-cold gel by area and immediately got started.

Starting with my cheeks, I could feel the contrast between the cold gel and the hot pulses, but there was very little discomfort. I could see a dim red light during each pulse. Linda constantly asked me if I were feeling ok, if the heat temperature was too high, and especially wanted to know how I was doing. I was happy that she quickly moved from area to area, knowing that it was best for me. I felt the most intensity on the areas which were the most highly pigmented.

The light from the IPL targets the darker pigments that stand out against the light, naturally-colored skin. When it saw the darker sections, the heat intensified and I could feel that. I felt the most on my upper cheeks and sides of neck.

After moving over the whole face and neck, she returned to the spots themselves with a spot-treatment application, which targeted both brown and red. The procedure was over quicker than I thought and I could then breathe a sigh of relief, while I got to hold an ice pack on the areas which began to feel hot. I was instructed to use ice through the evening if I needed it.

Post treatment: I was sent home with some Epidermal Repair by SkinCeuticals (available at SkinSpirit) to apply every morning and night post-IPL.

post-IPL

It’s a moisturizer which includes hydrocortisone for healing and comfort. It repairs by stimulating the tissues and renewing cells. It accelerates the skin’s barrier, reduces inflammation, diminishes redness from the treatment and protects the skin.

Within the hour following my treatment, I kept applying the ice to my hot skin. After two hours, I developed a headache which I treated with ibuprofen. My skin cooled down at this point.

At home, I was told to expect redness tonight, and little black “coffee grounds” on the darker spots as they fall off around day 5, leaving my skin noticeably clearer. At first, the spots will be more pronounced with a rim of red around brown in the days to follow.

I asked about my heated activities since I’m addicted to steam rooms and hot yoga. I am to stay away from intense heat for 48 hours, as it’s not a good idea to make the hot skin feel even more uncomfortable. The skin needs time to heal on its own first.

Tomorrow evening I will do some mellow Yin yoga.

Linda advised that to protect my investment after I have my new skin, she highly recommends daily application of a topical antioxidant vitamin C, specifically SkinCeuticals Phloretin to block harmful UVA/UVB rays from the sun, reduce fine lines, improve texture and decrease pigmentation. Approximately day 3-5, after the redness has gone away, Linda recommends I start using RetinA at night.

Linda is great! I can’t say enough about her confidence and expertise, let alone her personable approach. She made me feel at ease and was always looking out for my comfort, balanced with her knowledge on how high the intensity needs to be in order to get results! I can tell she really cares that I am happy with my final results. She is determined to get me clear, spot-free skin! Thank you, Linda.

Day 2 post-IPL

Day 2:

I woke to completely normal-feeling skin. I can already see a couple small spots darkened to the color of “coffee grounds”. The spots are more pronounced but I don’t feel like I need to hide from the public. I cleansed my face and neck with some gentle cleanser containing tea tree oil and applied my Epidermal Repair, followed by sunscreen SPF 30-50.

I am set to return for IPL #2 in 3-4 weeks, depending on how quickly my skin heals from this first round and my schedule. Stay tuned for more updates as I share my day-to-day comparisons.

Day 3 post-IPL

Day 3:

The brown pigmented spots are getting darker. My neck is making the most progress. Little specks of “coffee grounds” on the rest of my face in various places. My skin overall feels normal.

Linda advised me that it looks good so far and reminded me that I should not scrub or pick off the brown/black spots to prevent irritation and scarring.

Day 4:

My whole face has been itchy today, so I’ve washed it a few times and reapplied the Epidermal Repair to help with itchiness. So far I haven’t felt the need to take an anti-histamine for itching, which Linda gave as an option if I needed it. I also used a natural facial cleansing pad containing tea tree oil, and am remaining in a cool environment.

Day 4 post-IPL

My face is extra splotchy-looking today. The spots on my neck have gotten the darkest (almost black) the quickest. Of course, I am not trying to rub them off. I look forward to seeing no pigment underneath the “coffee grounds” after they naturally wash away.

Day 5:

I went into a steam room today, but started off with a heavy application of lotion to my face and neck so that it would soak in (and so that I could do away with itchy skin). I started in the sauna, but this was too dry. The steam felt like it was giving my skin the moisture it needed.

Day 6-7:

No real changes to report. My cheeks are still prevalent with darker spots (light brown), but no blackening yet. The IPL procedure clearly brought some of the pigment to the surface. I am sure the next round will do even more. Holding out until the 10th day to see how far this IPL #1 takes me.

Day 9 post-IPL

Day 8-9:

At this point all of the blackened areas are gone, darker spots seemed to have settled back down. I believe this is as far as I’ll get with this IPL #1 treatment.

In my next office appointment with Linda, she will take more photos. I will post the latest before and after photos here before starting the second IPL procedure.

Stay tuned for November 5.

 

© 2013 R.E.L. Copywriting

Skin spots from aging, sun damage: Can we diminish the pigmentation in my skin?

Here we go again… On a mission to clear up my skin. With significant damage from sun to aging, I am left with brown skin spots that are less than attractive as I put on more years. I have also developed rosacea on my face.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is the answer? Expert skin specialist, Linda Behla, R.N. from SkinSpirit, tells me that an IPL treatment is a great choice for me to even out my skin tone and reduce hyperpigmentation from sun exposure. Linda has been in the aesthetics industry for over 10 years, specializing in medical-grade skincare.

Erasing hyperpigmentation and rosacea

Why me? I already know that the hyperpigmentation on my skin (i.e., brown spotting) is due to a combination of aging and sun damage. I’ve presented research on healthy skin after sun exposure to learn that 85% of my brown spots are due to environmental conditions through the years, and only 15% due to aging.

As a light-skinned individual with a heritage from countries that normally don’t get much sun (Scotland, Scandinavia), it is no puzzle that as a former suntan goddess–starting in my early teens growing up in Florida–I am a prime candidate for brown spots on my skin now that I’m in my 40’s.

If I analyze the body location of the spots, they follow the precise pattern of my targeted suntan spots. To be more specific, they are the areas that received the most Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil.

All on the front side of my body (as I normally laid on my back for all suntan contest endeavors), my face, front of neck, chest, tops of hands, fronts of arms and fronts of legs have taken the brunt of the damage. For some reason the skin on my stomach was more prone to tanning and not burning. This explains the real culprit to sun damage: sunburn. Wherever I got sunburned and subsequently peeled, I have the most skin spots now!

Why does some skin tan easily and other skin burn? It’s all about the melanin. The darkness in skin is called melanin, a protectant against the sun’s harmful rays or skin injury. People with darker complexions naturally have more melanin in their skin.

A darker-skinned individual gets a suntan while in the sun because the skin has enough melanin to handle the sun’s damaging rays. The melanin protects it. However, a lighter-skinned individual, such as myself, has less melanin; therefore, my skin reacts and goes into protection-mode by releasing my own melanin that lays beneath the skin’s surface.

Remember that melanin is the skin’s protection. As melanin is released to protect against injury, it does not rise to the surface uniformly. This explains the spotty look.

What will IPL do for my skin? IPL treatments (3-5 times) will not only reduce the darker hyperpigmentation spots, but also diminish the redness caused by a condition called rosacea. I have both.

IPL is sometimes referred to as Photofacial, and is a non-laser procedure driven by light. The intensive light looks at the contrast between the lightest skin and the darkest skin (i.e., pigments) and attempts to erase the darkest areas. In short, browns come up to the surface of the skin and reds are absorbed by larger vessels below.

Preparation for IPL?

Stay out of the sun: It goes without saying that in order to obtain the best result, the lightest and natural color of my skin should be able to stand out the most against the spots. In other words, I should not have a suntan, sunburn, or any sun at all on my skin overall at least 6 weeks prior to the IPL treatment.

White as a ghost, and all spotty, I prepare for my first IPL treatment. We will begin with my face and neck, and possibly work on the chest and hands too on this first round. Linda Behla, RN, is particularly concerned with any discoloration that may be caused by even indirect sun that I may have been exposed to even while driving in the car.

No Retin A: Since Retin A has an exfoliation trait, it’s best to stay away from this at least 5-days prior to the IPL.

She will take all precautions necessary in order to obtain the optimal results for me. I look forward to my first appointment in 2 days. I will prepare by applying a topical numbing cream with Lidocaine approximately 45 minutes prior to the IPL procedure for maximum comfort.

I will post again at the time of my first IPL photofacial procedure, which will include an interview with Linda.

© 2013 R.E.L. Copywriting