Above: Dr. Lori Stetler treating my legs with the Versapulse laser
Below: Charlene Wilson treating my arms with the IPL (fotofacial) laser
Yep, I’m at it again. So let me go ahead and apologize for the graphic photographs in today’s post. But being honest with you is important to me and I hope that we both gain some knowledge here.
I recently visited the offices of Dallas Center for Dermatology & Aesthetics for my number one complaint about myself. My quest to have beautiful, even-toned skin with no sun damage or age spots. It’s an endless battle especially since I lived in the sun as a teenager and college student. Not to mention that there were a few tanning beds involved. Ugh, if I had only known that all the ugly brown spots would surface now.
We decided to see which laser my skin responds to in order to find the best treatment plan. Dr. Lori Stetler used the Versapulse laser to spot treat my brown spots on my legs (top three pictures). I have had this done before to my face and chest and it is very successful. The treated spot becomes very dark and flakes off after a week. There is no pain involved. You just need to know that you will have dark spots for a while. That’s why it is best to do this in the winter.
Next, I went down the hall to Charlene Wilson (same dermatology office) and had her try the IPL laser on my arms (bottom three pictures). IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and is also referred to as Fotofacial. This laser is used for many things and has more of an overall effect. She put a gel on my arms and used the laser all over. Again the spots will get darker and then flake off but not as dramatically as the spots treated with the Versapulse laser.
I asked Dr. Stetler her opinion on these lasers and I found her input very valuable. “We love these devices because they can treat so many different things. They are truly workhorses in our practice. The Versapulse laser is great for treating individual brown spots. We also use it for tattoos of all colors and some brown birthmarks. IPL or Fotofacial is great for patients with both red and brown issues such as those from sun damage and rosacea. This device can be used both on and off the face. Generally we treat larger areas with this device. The Versapulse laser is more for spot treating smaller areas such as individual freckles.”
The result? I am waiting a week to see which laser garnered the best response and then I will return for full treatment. By the way, if you are trying to get in for an appointment to see Dr. Lori Stetler and Charlene please be sure to tell the receptionist that you read about them on the blog. I hear it speeds up the process!
How do you combat sun damage? I would love to hear from you. xoxo- Tanya
This post sponsored by Dallas Center for Dermatology & Aesthetics
Give them a ring: Dallas Center for Dermatology & Aesthetics (214) 631-7546 www.dallascosmeticderm.com
Tags: Dallas, dallas center for dermatology and aesthetics, Dr. Lori Stetler, lucky
Hi Tanya! Looking at your legs in this post about the Versapulse is just like looking at my legs. 🙂 I’m considering having the Versapulse done. I had IPL on my lower legs about 7 or 8 years ago and was not happy with that whatsoever. The next summer it seemed to hasten so many more spots coming out in the sun that I think would have taken a number of years longer to come out if I hadn’t had the IPL. Since you tried IPL on your arms, what is your opinion regarding both of them? Did the Versapulse actually get rid of the spots on your legs? If it didn’t work well, have you done anything else and has that worked? I’ve considered chemical peels or microdermabrasion, too. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.