Recommended Skin Treatment: Variable Pulsed Light (VPL)

Age spots—also called sun spots, lentigines, and keratoses—are brown patches that occur on exposed areas of the skin such as the back of the hands, the neck and face, and the back as a result of years of sun exposure. Typically occuring in people over 40, the spots can give away a person's age.

Melasma or "pregnancy mask" is the appearance of dark brown patches on the face—most often on the cheeks, forehead, nose and upper lip. The condition results from an overproduction of melanin and is typically due to increased hormone levels as a result of pregnancy, the use of birth control pills, or hormone replacement therapy. Patients with melasma should avoid sun exposure, which can make the patches darker.

The Korock Center recommends VPL therapy as the most effective treatment for both melasma and age spots. With VPL therapy, light emitted from the VPL system is absorbed by specific targeted cell structures within the skin so that excess melanin breaks down. Dark areas become lighter as new cells make their way to the skin's surface.

VPL therapy also makes symptoms less likely to recur, leaving the patient with a healthier, more even complexion.