What is BBL Phototherapy?
BBL Phototherapy is a cosmetic rejuvenation procedure that treats a variety of skin conditions, including discoloration like sun spots, age spots and redness, enlarged pores, rosacea, and fine lines and wrinkles, and also improves overall skin tone and texture. The procedure can also help tighten and tone loose or sagging skin. BBL relies on a range of interchangeable filters that can allow the clinician to design a treatment regimen specific to your skin type and the results you’d like to achieve.
How does BBL Phototherapy work?
BBL Phototherapy uses intense pulsed light to heat the superficial layers of the skin, removing the uppermost damaged layers while promoting the development of new collagen in the deeper layers of skin. Collagen helps skin remain fuller and more resilient. The gentle heating also treats surface blood vessels that can make the skin appear red.
What areas of the body dos BBL Phototherapy treat?
BBL can be used to treat virtually any area of the body. The most popular and common areas of treatment are those which have been repeatedly exposed to the damaging effects of the sun, including the face, hands, chest, and shoulders.
What are the advantages of BBL Phototherapy over other similar treatments?
BBL is a noninvasive and gentle procedure that offers fast recovery and no downtime, unlike many other rejuvenation therapies. In addition, the procedure itself can be performed in less than half an hour in most cases. By using filters, BBL can also be tailored to meet individual needs and expectations.
Who is a candidate for BBL Phototherapy?
Most men and women with fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage, or poor or uneven skin tone or texture can undergo the BBL Phototherapy procedure. However, those with darker skin tones, as well as those with suntans, should speak to their clinicians about the possibility of hypopigmentation, or loss of coloration, that may result as light waves are absorbed at different rates by darker skin pigments.
How is BBL Phototherapy performed?
BBL Phototherapy is performed on an outpatient basis, typically taking from a few minutes to a half an hour to perform. After cleansing your skin, your clinician will provide you with protective eyewear to wear during treatment. During the procedure, you may feel a warmth or tingling sensation in the areas being treated, and in some cases, especially depending on the area being treated, your clinician may apply a topical anesthetic prior to treatment to reduce potential discomfort.
What is the recovery like?
BBL Phototherapy requires no downtime, and in most cases, patients return to work or other normal routines immediately after their treatment. You may experience some reddening of the skin, which usually dissipates within a few hours of treatment and can be covered by makeup.
What will the results be like?
After initial redness disappears, you will notice a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles and an overall improvement in skin tone and texture, as well as tightening or firming of your skin. When dark lesions, like age or sun spots, are treated, they may become darker before flaking away and disappearing. Because the procedure also results in production of collagen, you may continue to experience improvements in the texture of your skin for several weeks.
How many treatments are required?
Most individuals will need up to five treatments, which can be spaced from two to four weeks apart, to experience the full benefits of BBL Phototherapy.
What are the risks?
An alteration in skin pigmentation may occur in darker skinned men and women. In addition, patients will need to protect their skin from direct sun exposure following treatment, when skin will be especially sensitive to ultraviolet light. Talk to your clinician about specific risks you may encounter.
Is BBL Phototherapy approved for use in the U.S.?
Yes, the procedure has been approved for use within the United States.
Is BBL Phototherapy covered by insurance companies?
Because BBL Phototherapy is a cosmetic procedure, most insurance companies do not cover its costs.
Disclaimer: This information is intended only as an introduction to this procedure. This information should not be used to determine whether you will have the procedure performed nor does it guarantee results of your elective surgery. Further details regarding surgical standards and procedures should be discussed with your physician.
By OnlineSurgery.com Staff
Updated: February 24, 2010
