IPL and Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Before & After Photos

Sun damage, UV exposure, and even radiation can cause severe skin aging changes to the chest.  The decollete region is often neglected in terms of sunscreen use and photoprotection, leading to lifelong, cumulative sun exposure.  This causes sun spots, pigmentary changes, broken blood vessels called telangiectasias, chronic sun damage called poikiloderma, precancerous spots called actinic keratoses (AKs), and skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

For light to moderate sun damage, a small series of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment can greatly improve freckling, sun damage, and broken blood vessels.  In patients with heavy sun damage and precancerous spots called actinic keratoses (AKs), an IPL may be combined with blue light during photodynamic therapy (PDT).  This greatly improves the number of precancerous lesions, sun damage, and improves skin texture by stimulating collagen growth.  Simple PDT with blue light alone does not have this combined effect.  Dr. Palm has written a book chapter on photorejuvenation using this technique and has presented it at national laser and dermatology scientific meetings.

In patients with very severe wrinkling and skin textural changes, laser skin resurfacing can be combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT or blue light therapy) during a single treatment session.  This allows a single period of “downtime” and greatly improves skin texture while improving precancerous spots and pigmentary issues of the decollete region.

For more information about IPL and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the San Diego area, call Dr. Melanie Palm at 858.792.SKIN (7546) to schedule an appointment to discuss your treatment options.