Laser Removes Sunspots, Pre-Cancerous Lesions

Laser Removes Sunspots, Pre-Cancerous Lesions
October 8, 2007
NBC10.com

Too much sun can leave people with skin cancer, wrinkles, sunspots and age spots. A laser treatment can remove the damage.

One woman looked at her skin with a black light and was disturbed to see what's beneath the surface.

"You have all these brown spots and brown freckles, all in through the nose," Dr. Fiona Wright, a cosmetic physician, said.

"We were either on the lake or in the pool, one or the other. That's how we spent our evenings and our weekends," sun lover Debbee Poche said.

Poche's years in the sun turned into pre-cancerous lesions, which are more than just unattractive.

"Some were red and scaly. I did not realize. I thought I had dry skin. I did not realize that was pre-cancer," Poche said.

Poche had photodynamic therapy. A topical ointment, called Levulin was applied to the skin after micro-dermabrasion.

"The chemical most commonly will target precancerous skin cells," Wright said.

Then a laser activates the chemical.

"Medically it will remove the skin cancers; cosmetically, you get a great re-texturing. It helps with fine lines, reduces pores and I use it very aggressively to treat acne," Wright said.

Many of Wright's patients add a facial to help reduce redness.

Poche's fighting early signs of skin cancer and glowing on the surface.

"It changes the texture of your skin, gets rid of the pre-cancer and my insurance paid for it," Poche said.

The entire treatment costs about $850. Poche's health insurance likely covered her procedure because the main treatment was for her pre-cancerous lesions.

Ask a laser surgeon what he or she can do for you to get rid of your brown spots or age spots.

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