Eri Nakao, a beauty writer of the same generation, introduces the beauty that is perfect for women who are in their fifties. This time, we will talk about the stains that you want to erase. I will report on my experience of how the laser treatment at the beauty clinic turned out to be!
Table of contents
- Consult the hospital for dark spots that have become large and dark
- There are many types of stains and many approaches!
- Internal medicines and ointments are also effective for melasma
- Choose from laser or light for age spots
- It instantly kills with the feeling of snapping and playing rubber!
- Downtime after erasing blemishes. The beginning of two weeks of patience
- Downtime is over. 2 weeks later your skin will be different!
- Points to be aware of after laser irradiation
Consult the hospital for dark spots that have become large and dark
Due to my work, I cover treatments at all beauty clinics. But I still have a long way to go to receive it myself. Once you do it, you may not be able to go back. There was such an anxiety that I couldn’t get my hands on it.
However, 3 years ago, I was talking to a celebrity who I’m on good terms with, and he told me frankly, “If it wasn’t for those blemishes, you’d look a little more youthful.” People around me said things like, “I don’t know about blemishes,” or “It’s okay because my skin looks beautiful even if I have blemishes.” .
When I immediately consulted with the person about what to do, he said, “You can erase it at a beauty clinic. It’s easy.” “Nowadays, the technology is evolving, so why don’t you try counseling for the time being?”
Therefore, I went to Matsukura Clinic in Omotesando, Tokyo, where I have been interviewed many times and have been familiar with.
There are many types of stains and many approaches!
When Dr. Matsukura, the director of Matsukura Clinic, diagnosed me, the large dark spots on my cheeks seemed to be complicatedly intertwined with melasma. yes. There are many kinds of stains.
First, “liver spots”. This is said to be related to the imbalance of female hormones. The onset time is around the age of 30, and it may become darker during pregnancy. It seems that it can often be done symmetrically along both cheekbones.
And spots caused by UV rays. It is said to be “senile pigment spots” and is the result of years of accumulated damage.
In addition, there are freckles, which are said to be caused by genetics, inflammatory pigmentation, birthmarks, and delayed nevus of Ota that appear in adults.
In any case, it’s difficult to judge by yourself, so if you’re worried about it, let’s have a diagnosis at the clinic.
Age spots and chloasma start to become a concern after the age of 50. Those are my two enemies. There are different approaches to repelling each.
Internal medicines and ointments are also effective for melasma
Until recently, there was a risk that melasma would darken when irradiated with a laser. However, recently, research and technology have progressed, and lasers that are effective for melasma have also appeared. However, because it is necessary to irradiate several times, it tends to take time and money. Therefore, it seems that many people take care of melasma with internal medicine or ointment.
An acquaintance was taking over-the-counter medicine, and the melasma was getting thinner during that time. At the clinic, you will be prescribed an internal medicine containing tranexamic acid, an ingredient that suppresses pigmentation. At the same time, ointments such as retinoic acid, hydroquinone, and vitamin C are also prescribed for a double approach inside and outside. It’s a clinic, so you should be able to get an effective compounding amount. However, melasma treatment is a long-term battle.
Choose from laser or light for age spots
There are several possible treatment approaches for so-called “blemishes”.
- “Q-switched ruby laser” that shoots and leaves no scars.
- “Photofacial” with no downtime.
- Accu-Tip is said to be effective even on light spots.
- In addition, it seems that some clinics are considering their own combinations of treatments, such as ultrasound introduction and whitening injections.
First of all, during the counseling and diagnosis, the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to blemishes, and the preparation for blemish treatment were explained. In my case, I would like to finish it during spring break, so I told him that I would like something that would be effective in the shortest time, and went to the diagnosis.
The teacher immediately said, “Let’s take it with a Q-switch ruby laser.” I have melasma, but it seems to be full of spots due to photoaging. What’s more, there are so many of them scattered over such a wide area that even I was surprised when I put a marker where I was going to shoot a laser, thinking, “Huh? How many?”
It instantly kills with the feeling of snapping and playing rubber!
Q-switched ruby lasers react to dark melanin. The advantage is that there is no damage to the surrounding tissue because the irradiation is targeted. The downside is some pain and 2 weeks of downtime.
A little pain is a pain like being snapped off with a rubber band. Actually, I have experienced it about 20 years ago in an interview, so I kind of understand the feeling, but it’s been a while since I’ve had a laser, so it’s a little scary…
Since I am so weak that I could die, I had anesthesia applied (it seems that there are many people who do not apply it), and after about 20 minutes, the teacher appeared with a relatively light tone, saying, “Yes, let’s start.” “I’m sure I’ll feel refreshed when I’m done,” he said happily as if it were his own. Anxiety quickly turns into optimism.
First, one irradiation to try out what kind of pain it is. “This kind of pain. Are you okay?” Sure snap! and the feeling of being hit by a rubber bullet. It’s better than I thought, so let’s move on. While chatting harmoniously, the teacher clattered lightly with snaps, snaps, and in less than 10 minutes said, “Yes, we’re done!”
About 80 spots on my cheeks were laser-irradiated, so I felt a tingling sensation, but the pain was tolerable. Feels like after a burn. This pain will go away in about an hour. Immediately, a hydrocolloid plaster with a pad on the entire surface is applied. It is said that it is necessary to keep pasting this for two weeks. It seems that it will be finished beautifully by moistening and healing the wound.
Downtime after erasing blemishes. The beginning of two weeks of patience
After receiving an explanation about the treatment at home, I went home. When you wash your face, gently wash it so that the plaster does not come off, and when you go out, UV protection and a mask are essential. On the first day, the white plaster was noticeable, but after a few days, the pad part turned black and my face looked like I had dark spots…
When the laser was irradiated, it wasn’t the corona sickness like now, so I was asked “Hay fever?” Anyway, by looking forward to the next two weeks, be patient, be patient.
However, after about 10 days, the pad swelled up black enough to make me wonder if the stain had really been removed. Nonetheless, the pads were firmly affixed, and since I had handled them carefully, they did not come off during the two weeks.
Downtime is over. 2 weeks later your skin will be different!
Go to the clinic and check the progress of the stain. I was honestly happy when my teacher praised me, saying, “Well, you did your best!” However, since the pad was black, I was worried that it might be getting bigger.
“Look! The continent of stains that should have been there is not there! There is a pale pink new skin! On the table is a black swollen pad. Once again, I was impressed by how amazing lasers are and continued to stare into the mirror.
However, this is not the end, and external medicine will be given after laser irradiation. This is a topical medicine patented by the clinic. One is hydroquinone and the other is neuretinoic acid. For night care, just mix the same amount and apply. I don’t use it for anything else. Prevents post-laser pigmentation and speeds up wound healing. It is OK to paint other than the part irradiated with the laser. It promotes metabolism, so if you have a light stain, you can solve it with these two.
Points to be aware of after laser irradiation
At the same time as continuing to apply the prescribed medicine for a while, UV protection is indispensable every day. Therefore, if you want to treat stains, it is recommended to avoid the season when UV rays are strong, and from autumn to early spring.
For UV protection, we applied the highest UV cut items in Japan. But I no longer need concealer to hide my blemishes, and my make-up time has been reduced. In addition, after the ointment is over, whitening items are added to keep the skin free of blemishes. I try to prevent it before it becomes a stain.
After all, why didn’t I do the laser treatment sooner? The more I think. I’m planning to use the clinic’s treatment more, such as light treatment and ointment, before the dark spots get darker.
