SAN ANTONIO -- If what you desire for the New Year is a younger-looking face, dermatologists have a new tool to help. It’s a treatment with no down time.
A new kind of anti-aging skin treatment uses what’s called “intense pulse light” to create change. Patients can literally have a session at lunchtime, then head back to work.
Louise Dees strives to put her best face forward. At age 53, she’s noticing spots and blotches on her face from years in the sun, and she’s ready for a change.
She’s chosen the Alma Advance Fluorescent Technology (AFT) intense pulse light treatment at the hands of San Antonio dermatologist Dr. Allison Stocker.
“It uses a broad range of light to target red blood vessels, brown pigment, in particular, and it breaks them up and brings it to the surface and it just vanishes, really,” explained Stocker.
Sun damage causes the pigment changes that age skin. Unlike thermal lasers, this light therapy doesn’t create much discomfort.
“It’s not pain at all,” Dees said. “It’s kind of like a little rubber band snapping you in the face.”
“This one is definitely a lunchtime procedure,” Stocker commented. “There’s no downtime. We can do it in 20 minutes. There’s minor redness after the procedure which can easily be covered up with makeup.”
The pulsed light therapy can also help on other exposed skin areas like the neck and hands.
As Dees toys with re-entering the work force, she’s hoping for a more youthful look. “So when I do go out into the job market and go in for interviews, there’s a lot of competition out there, so I’ll just feel younger and more confident in my appearance,” Dees added.
Patients usually get five sessions two to four weeks apart. The entire package costs about $2,000.
