Sun spots (lentigines, age spots, liver spots and solar keratoses) are common patches on the skin resulting usually from long term sun exposure. Most sun spots are normal and a cosmetic concern only, but some are potentially pre-cancerous. In Melbourne there is an extremely high rate of skin cancer, and some pigmented spots on the skin are in fact skin cancers rather than harmless sun spots. This means it's essential to have pigmented spots on the skin examined by an experienced doctor prior to commencing treatment. Depending on the exact diagnosis of the sun spot, treatment may be light-based (laser or IPL), cryotherapy (freezing) or a topical cream. applied to the skin
Getting sun spots removed in Melbourne is usually easy, but there are important issues to take into account before they are treated:
- There is a very high rate of skin cancer in Melbourne, and the more sun spots you have accumulated over the years, the higher the risk that you might have a skin cancer. The pigmented spot you wish to have removed may in fact be a skin cancer, or there may be an undetected skin cancer elsewhere on your body.
- In Melbourne, it's legally possible to operate laser or IPL equipment without any qualifications or training in laser safety or the diagnosis or management of skin conditions. This means that an unqualified or inexperienced operator could provide inappropriate or even dangerous treatment.
If you are considering removal of sun spots in Melbourne, it's safest to have your skin examined and a treatment plan established by an accredited skin cancer doctor or dermatologist.
Your doctor can establish the diagnosis: skin cancer, harmless freckle or potentially pre-cancerous solar keratosis, and provide or recommend treatment which is likely to be effective and safe. Laser, BBL or IPL treatments in Melbourne should always be provided by a doctor, nurse or dermal therapist with laser safety qualifications. You should ask to see evidence of this before commencing treatment.
Laser, IPL and BBL treatment is good for lentigines/age spots/freckles/liver spots, which are harmless pigmented patches, usually on sun-exposed skin.
If your "sun spot" is actually a skin cancer or solar keratosis, it may need surgical removal, cryotherapy (freezing) treatment or a topical prescription cream.