True age spots are non-cancerous pigmented lesions of the skin that can removed with laser or IPL treatments. Moles, which, sometimes appear like age spots, should be evaluated prior to destruction to gauge their potential to be cancerous.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Thank you for your question. An intense pulse light (IPL) treatment would likely be your best bet to help remove those pesky brown, and sometimes red, spots that arise with age from years of prior sun exposure. This treatment can be done on a lunch break as there is no downtime associated with the treatment. Patients should expect that these brown spots will become darker in the days following an IPL treatment (peaking around day 3) and will slough off and fade away afterwards. Some patients will require multiple treatments, while other patients might only need one. At The Spa @ Greenberg Cosmetic Surgery, my medical aestheticians offer complementary consultations to determine your candidacy for the treatment and to determine how many treatments will be necessary to achieve a clear and youthful complexion. I hope that you find this helpful and I wish you all of the best.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

There are a number of ways to address skin changes. Ultimately, the best treatment is dependent upon the type of change/lesion and it's location. Some may be amenable to excision or shaving while others may be addressed by laser resurfacing.

As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Thanks for your inquiry. Before any age spot or skin pigmentation is treated, you must visit a board certified dermatologist to determine the type of the skin pigmentation and safety aspects of it. For the majority of benign skin pigmentation, Ruby or Co2 lasers are great choices, as well as medical grade peels such as Jessener peel or Cosmelan. Best of luck.

Published on Jul 11, 2012