What causes skin pigmentation disorders?
Skin pigment disorders involve melanin, the pigment that gives skin color. When there’s too much melanin, skin gets darker, called hyperpigmentation. This condition stems from a problem with the skin cells that make melanin. It can be local and spotty, or it could affect your entire body. Hyperpigmentation is common during pregnancy, a condition known as melasma,
Sun exposure causes a number of uneven skin color effects too which, unlike tanning, can affect spots and patches of skin, making these darker than the normal skin that surrounds them.
What else causes skin to discolor?
There’s a wide range of diseases and conditions that cause the skin to show redness. Some of these, such as allergic reactions, may be relatively short-lived, while others, such as rosacea and acne, may cause persistent redness.
Actinic Keratoses (AKs) – often called “sun spots”— are rough-textured, dry, scaly patches on the skin caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) such as sunlight. They occur most often on sun exposed areas such as the face, scalp or ears, and can range in color from skin toned to reddish brown. They can be as small as a pinhead or larger than a quarter.
How are skin disorders treated?
In the case of conditions such as active acne, treating the outbreak is the first step. Skin discoloration that remains can be treated later. Persistent facial redness or visible veins, such as that associated with rosacea and acne, typically respond well to VBeam laser treatments. Lasers break up the fine visible blood vessels common to rosacea.
Actinic keratoses is treated at The Spa at Shenandoah using Levulan® Kerastick® and the BLU-U® Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy Illuminator which is indicated for the treatment of minimally to moderately thick actinic keratosis of the face or scalp. Actinic keratoses (AKs) are rough-textured, dry, scaly patches on the skin that can lead to skin cancer. It is important to treat AKs because there is no way to tell when or which lesions will progress to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the second most common form of skin cancer. So, now’s the time to manage your damage!
What is Photodynamic Therapy?
LEVULAN KERASTICK and BLU-U PDT, a 2-part treatment, is unique because it uses a light activated drug therapy to destroy AKs. How does it work? LEVULAN KERASTICK Topical Solution is applied to the AK. The solution is then absorbed by the AK cells where it is converted to a chemical that makes the cells extremely sensitive to light. When the AK cells are exposed to the BLU-U Blue Light Illuminator, a reaction occurs which destroys the AK cells.
The 2-part treatment offers the following conveniences:
- No prescription to fill
- No daily medication to remember
- Treatment is administered by a qualified healthcare professional