How does pigmentation begin? Pigmentation or hyperpigmentation occurs when the skin darkens in patches or on a widespread basis. Pigmentation and hyperpigmentation can be the result of a combination of factors including hormones, sun exposure, inflammation, damage to the skin, and certain medications. When melanin or pigment is in overdrive and produced in excess from melanocytes, individuals begin to see these patches of pigment or dark spots on the skin.

Types of Pigmentation

Pigmentation can take various forms. Discoloration can be the result of:

• Sun spots and freckles can be seen after chronic sun exposure. This is usually seen on the hands and face.
• Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is basically inflammation caused by acne or picking at pimples, creating trauma on the skin. There is an increase in pigmentation as a result.
• Widespread Pigmentation can be the result of medical conditions such as Addison disease or dermatological ones such as Lichen Planus.
• Melasma is brown discoloration that forms in patches in the cheeks, upper lip/moustache area and forehead. It can be caused by hormones, birth control pills, and related to pregnancy as well.

Cosmetic Treatments for Pigmentation Available

Chemical peels that are gentle or low level in nature along with laser therapy can resolve hyperpigmentation issues.

Prescribed topical and oral medications may also be of benefit. This should be customized for you by your board-certified dermatologist.

Laser Treatments and Light Therapy

With multiple sessions of laser and light treatments, you can significantly minimize the appearance of unwanted pigmentation of the skin, especially on your face. Certain types of light treatments are more appropriate for sun freckles and skin rejuvenation, while others target sun damage and specific discoloration.

For example, photofacial therapy is a mild form of light therapy and is extremely popular for resolving pigmentation concerns. The procedure works in short, intense blasts of light to refine the skin’s tone while creating firmer and younger looking skin.

Other laser treatments are also available including the Fractional C02 laser which is more intense and effective for skin resurfacing. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a laser treatment that treats acne scars, rosacea, rashes and hyperpigmentation. PDT therapy treats melasma, age spots and sun damage specifically.

Several types of scars can result from trauma, injury, a burn, acne, or a skin condition. For example, a burn injury can lead to a contracture scar. A keloid scar could result from from a cut, wound or other injury. A surgical scar, piercing or tattoo could also cause a keloid to form. When the skin is injured, thick tissue forms around it causing the scar to be larger than the injury.

Skin and Cancer Institute offers scar removal procedures including cortisone injections, silicone dioxide gel, cryotherapy liquid nitrogen, microdermabrasion, microneedling, facial peel and laser treatments.

We utilize lasers such as PDT photodynamic therapy, Fractional C02 laser, and a pulse dye laser called VBeam Perfecta.

If you are interested in having your scar removed efficiently, call us to schedule your consultation and see which treatment method is the best fit for your skin.

Keloid scars can result from cuts, puncture wounds, serious acne, tattoos, piercings and more. When your skin sustains an injury, the body automatically tries to repairs the damaged cells. In doing so, a scar forms and scar tissue can continue to grow after the wound has healed. A keloid is the scar tissue that becomes raised on the skin after a skin injury. An individual dealing with scars of any sort may want it removed for either cosmetic reasons or medical concern.

How Dermatologists Remove Keloid Scars

To minimize a keloid scar, with maximum efficiency because there is a risk of recurrence, the practitioner dermatologist will try to soften and flatten the keloid and shrink it in size as well. This is accomplished by a variety of methods including the following:

• A corticosteroid injection can help reduce the size of the keloid.
• You can freeze the scar by cryotherapy, a procedure most effective on smaller keloids.
• Laser treatments can be utilized to make the keloid scar flatter.
• The dermatologic surgeon can surgically remove the scar by cutting and excising it. This procedure yields fast results. However, surgery may cause the keloid to reoccur by triggering trauma to the skin yet again.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a keloid scar, hypertrophic scar, contracture scar or acne scar, Skin and Cancer Institute’s team of professional surgeons and dermatologists are at your service and disposal.

Our board-certified dermatologists and team of licensed nurses are trained in providing unique dermatologic treatments for various skin conditions. From treating unwanted blemishes and other concerns like pigmentation, Rosacea, warts, moles, cysts, skin tags, Skin and Cancer Institute can offer appropriate treatments targeting your particular needs.

Cosmetic Procedures for the Face & Body

We also offer our patients living in Las Vegas, Nevada pristine laser therapies, non-surgical facial fillers, Botox, chemical peels and more. Whether it is a cosmetic enhancement without surgical intervention or more intense changes to the body are desired, our practice offers something for everyone.

Cosmetic treatments include facial rejuvenation, body sculpting to eliminate cellulite and unwanted fat, acne and scar treatment and more. Tattoo removal, spray tanning and laser hair removal are also services we provide.

Contact our Las Vegas practice for all your dermatology and cosmetic needs.

Photodynamic light therapy treatment is the latest advancement in dermatology for the improvement of one’s skin, fighting severe cases of acne. Acne, rosacea, acitinic keratosis and hyperplasia can also be targeted with this form of light therapy.

During the Procedure

A solution called Levulan is applied to the treatment area. The laser activates it, allowing the light to treat that area. It can be used to treat the face in its entirety, and not just portions of the face affected by acne or other skin conditions. Click here to learn more about photodynamic light therapy treatment and results.

Contact LA Laser Center

Contact us for an appointment or to schedule your consultation if you are interested in PDT light therapy or would like to treat specific skin conditions like acne, rosacea, skin cancer, hyperpigmentation or hyperplasia.

While acne is typically associated with adolescence, acne can also affect adults. Acne can affect one’s confidence and self-esteem, and in severe cases it can lead to painful facial lesions and cysts.

Dermatologists have developed several ways to alleviate skin acne and other skin conditions. One affective method is acne photodynamic treatment, or PDT. This is a new procedure designed by dermatologists to combat especially resistant and stubborn cases of acne with the use of light.

With photodynamic treatment, a special agent known as Levulan is applied to the skin by a dermatologist and left there for 15 to 60 minutes. Then the dermatologist uses a light of a certain wavelength to activate the solution, causing it to be absorbed by the skin and allowing the acne cells to be targeted by the light. Sebaceous hyperplasia and acne rosacea will also be targeted by the Levulan. The photodynamic treatment will decrease skin oiliness as well as clean pores while reducing their size. Pre-existing acne scars will also reduce, as will skin wrinkles. Other conditions such as sun-damaged skin with actinic keratosis can also be treated.

PDT has significant acne treating advantages over other forms of acne therapy. PDT requires no surgery and leaves no scarring, and is much less painful than other types of treatment. Also, PDT treats the entire facial area rather than just spot treating. There is some redness and skin peeling immediately following the procedure, and patients are encouraged to avoid direct exposure to the sun for 24 hours following treatment. Over the next seven to ten days, liver spots, if present, will also darken and peel away, resulting in normal skin. For best results, having 2-3 treatments at 2 to 3 week intervals is highly encouraged.

What exactly is facial rejuvenation? It is a cosmetic procedure with one goal- to tighten, lift and improve the skin’s appearance, texture and feeling. Various rejuvenation procedures are offered at LA Laser Center to revive the skin. For instance, laser treatments improve the skin by treating broken capillaries, targeting brown and age spots, redness, acne and more. Ultherapy uses ultrasound energy to target loose skin.

Facial rejuvenation also includes treating acne and scars on the skin including unwanted discoloration. For example, this can be done with the Fractional C02 laser.

DiamondGlow and chemical peels treat the skin in a different way. Both seek to eliminate dead skin cells and create room for new skin to grow and new collagen to develop. Microneedling also induces collagen growth. Microdermabrasion treat enlarged pores and blackheads to minimize and reduce them.