BALIKIAN AESTHETICS
Brown spots and sun damage can make the skin appear uneven or less vibrant. At Balikian Plastic Surgery, we evaluate the type and pattern of pigmentation, your skin and your goals before recommending a personalized treatment plan.
Personalized Pigment Correction | Advanced Technology
Model
Brown spots, freckles and uneven pigmentation are common signs of accumulated sun exposure, but how visible that pigment is can influence how it is treated.
Dark, well-defined sun spots create a different treatment target than faint, diffuse discoloration. The amount of pigment present, how clearly it contrasts with the surrounding skin and your overall skin tone all matter when selecting treatment settings.
It is also important to determine what the pigmentation actually represents. Sun damage, freckles, post-inflammatory pigmentation and melasma can all appear brown, but they should not automatically be treated the same way.
Darker, more distinct sun spots can provide a clearer target than very faint areas of discoloration.
Defined spots and diffuse discoloration may require different settings and treatment strategies.
The contrast between unwanted pigment and the surrounding skin is considered when treatment is planned.
Treatment can reduce pigmentation that is already visible, but it cannot prevent future UV exposure from creating additional sun damage.
Identifying why the skin appears darker comes before deciding how that pigment should be treated.
Dark, defined areas of sun-related pigmentation can provide a strong target for light-based treatment because they contrast with the surrounding skin.
Subtle brown discoloration can still be treated, but settings may need to be adjusted to distinguish the pigment from the surrounding skin, and additional treatments may be needed.
Freckles are another form of visible pigmentation that may become more noticeable with sun exposure and can be considered when evaluating unwanted brown color.
Melasma requires a different approach. Because heat, light, hormones, genetics and sun exposure can all influence it, aggressive light-based treatment may aggravate melasma in some patients.
The treatment is adjusted to the pigment rather than using the same settings for everyone.
With BBL HEROic™, our aesthetic providers can adjust the treatment based on how much pigment is present and how clearly it differs from the surrounding skin. Someone with several dark sun spots may respond differently than someone with very faint, diffuse discoloration.
We also look beyond color. If sun damage has affected texture and overall skin quality in addition to pigmentation, resurfacing treatments such as HALO® may become part of the treatment plan.
The treatment plan depends on whether the primary concern is unwanted color, changes in texture or a combination of both.
BBL HEROic™ is primarily used when unwanted color is the concern. BroadBand Light delivers energy that is absorbed by concentrations of pigment within the skin, allowing brown spots and areas of sun-related discoloration to be selectively targeted.
Treatment settings can be adjusted based on the amount of pigment and how clearly it contrasts with the surrounding skin. Dark sun spots may provide a stronger target, while faint discoloration may require different settings or additional treatments.
Explore Laser & Light Treatments →
When sun damage involves texture as well as pigmentation, HALO® provides a more focused resurfacing approach. It uses two wavelengths to address both more superficial concerns and deeper layers of the skin.
HALO is primarily a texture-focused treatment, with improvement in pigmentation as an additional benefit. For patients bothered by both color and texture, HALO and BBL may play different roles within the same overall treatment strategy.
Explore HALO® →
Years of sun exposure can affect more than pigmentation. Fine lines, roughness and changes in overall skin quality may occur alongside brown spots and uneven tone.
When those changes are a meaningful part of the concern, resurfacing may be considered rather than focusing only on visible pigment. The appropriate treatment depends on your skin, goals and preferred downtime.
Explore Laser Resurfacing →Choosing a treatment starts with identifying what is actually creating the change you see.
We look at how dark or faint the pigmentation is, how it compares with the surrounding skin and whether texture, redness or other signs of sun damage are present.
That distinction helps determine whether treatment should focus primarily on pigment with BBL, on texture with resurfacing, or on more than one concern.
Dark, defined pigment can behave differently during treatment than faint discoloration with less contrast against the surrounding skin.
We consider whether the pattern is consistent with sun spots, freckles or another pigment concern that may require a different approach.
When roughness, fine lines or other texture changes are also present, resurfacing may become an important part of the plan.
Treatment does not prevent future sun damage. Consistent sun protection remains important because new pigmentation can develop with continued UV exposure.
Your treatment plan should reflect what is actually happening in your skin.
If unwanted brown pigment is the primary concern, BBL may be the focus. If texture and skin quality are more prominent, HALO or another resurfacing treatment may make more sense. When both are present, treatments can be selected around each concern rather than asking one technology to do everything.
Common questions about pigmentation, sun damage and treatment.
Years of UV exposure can contribute to areas of concentrated pigmentation known as solar lentigines, or sun spots. A systematic review of solar lentigines describes them as a common feature of photoaged skin.
Dark, distinct pigment provides a clearer target than faint discoloration that blends into the surrounding skin. This is why treatment settings and the number of treatments can vary from person to person.
BBL delivers light energy that is absorbed by unwanted pigment within the skin. A prospective study of intense pulsed light found significant improvement in solar lentigines following treatment.
Targeted pigment can temporarily become darker or more noticeable after BBL. The treated pigment then gradually moves toward the surface and becomes less visible as the skin renews.
No. BBL is a light-based treatment rather than a true laser. It uses a broader range of wavelengths that can be adjusted for targets such as brown pigmentation and vascular redness.
Melasma needs to be approached differently from ordinary sun spots because heat and light can aggravate it in some patients. Identifying the pigment pattern before treatment is important.
BBL is primarily used to address unwanted color, while HALO is more focused on resurfacing and texture. HALO may make more sense when texture and skin quality are significant parts of the concern.
They may be used as complementary treatments when both unwanted color and texture are concerns. BBL can focus on pigmentation while HALO provides a more targeted resurfacing approach.
Yes. Treatment can reduce visible pigmentation, but it cannot prevent future UV exposure from creating new sun damage. A review of sunscreen and photoaging supports consistent photoprotection to help limit additional UV-related skin changes.
ADVANCED SKIN IMAGING
EVA 3D™ skin analysis gives our aesthetic providers multiple views of your skin, revealing patterns in pigmentation, redness, texture and other characteristics that may not be apparent in ordinary light.
NATURAL LIGHT | UV IMAGING | PIGMENTATION ANALYSIS | REDNESS MAPPING | SKIN TEXTURE
