Brown spots and redness cleared in the same appointment. Broadband light for sun-damaged Florida skin at our Lake Nona med spa, serving Orlando.
Look closely at sun-damaged skin and there are usually two things going on at once. Brown discolouration, which is pigment. And a background of flushing, visible vessels, or general ruddiness, which is vascular.
They are separate problems with separate causes, and most treatments only address one of them. People end up clearing the brown spots and being left with the redness, or calming the redness while the spots stay put.
Broadband light handles both in the same session, which is why it remains one of the most requested treatments we offer.
Not sure whether your concern is pigment, redness, or both? That’s what the consultation is for. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Broadband light is not a laser. A laser emits one wavelength. Broadband light emits a range, and filters select which part of that range reaches your skin.
That flexibility is the point. Pigment and haemoglobin absorb light at different wavelengths, so choosing the right filter lets us target brown spots in one pass and blood vessels in another, within a single appointment. The energy is absorbed by the target and converted to heat, which breaks up pigment and closes off small vessels while leaving surrounding skin alone.
Brown spots typically darken over the following days before flaking away. Redness tends to fade more gradually. Nothing is ablated and the skin surface is not broken, so there is no peeling phase to plan around.
The flat brown marks that accumulate across the face, chest, and backs of the hands. Usually the most satisfying result, because they visibly flake away within a week.
General ruddiness and background flushing across the cheeks and nose. Frequently the concern people have stopped mentioning because they assume nothing helps.
The fine visible vessels around the nose and cheeks. Targeted directly by the vascular filter rather than disguised.
Patchy tone where pigment and redness sit together and neither is dominant. Treating both in one session is where broadband light earns its place.
Sun damage does not stop at the jawline. Neck, chest, and hands are commonly treated in the same appointment and often show damage more clearly than the face.
Photofacials work on colour rather than texture. If your concern is roughness, enlarged pores, fine lines, or scarring, laser resurfacing is the right tool and we will point you there instead.
Broadband light has been around for years and not every system delivers it the same way. Three things distinguish the platform we run.
Different filters select different parts of the light spectrum, so pigment and vascular concerns can each be targeted properly within one appointment rather than compromising on a single setting.
The HEROic platform delivers energy faster and more uniformly than older broadband systems, which means larger areas like the chest and back are practical to treat rather than prohibitive.
The skin surface is never broken. Expect some redness and darkening of treated spots for a few days, but no peeling phase and no time away from your week.
Photofacials are performed by a licensed provider who selects filters and settings based on your skin type and concerns. Results vary between individuals and typically build across a series. At your consultation you get an honest assessment, including whether your skin type makes broadband light the wrong choice.
Four steps, start to finish. We’ll talk you through each one as we go.
We look at whether your concern is pigment, vascular, or both, and assess your skin type. This decides which filters we use and, occasionally, whether broadband light is right for you at all.
Avoid sun exposure and self-tanner beforehand. Tanned skin changes how the light is absorbed and raises the risk, so this matters more here than with most treatments.
Cool gel is applied and you wear protective eyewear. Each pulse feels like a brief snap of warmth, often described as a light elastic band flick. The face typically takes 20 to 30 minutes.
Treated brown spots darken over the next day or two, then lift and flake away across roughly a week. Redness fades more gradually across the series. Daily sunscreen afterwards is not optional.
Questions before you’re ready to book anything? Call us on (407) 730-5600 and ask. No pressure either way.
Photofacials are priced per session and by area. Face alone costs less than face with neck and chest, though that combination is common because sun damage rarely stops at the jawline.
Most people need a series of three to five sessions spaced a few weeks apart, with each one building on the last. We price in packages accordingly. Many people then return once or twice a year, because this treatment clears existing damage rather than preventing new damage.
At your consultation you get a written plan naming the areas, the number of sessions, and the full cost before you commit to anything.
A calm, private space in Lake Nona, not a clinic that feels like a waiting room. You will be looked after by the same small team each visit.
IPL stands for intense pulsed light and describes the category. BBL, or broadband light, is Sciton’s version of it, and the HEROic is their current platform. A laser is different again: it emits a single wavelength, where broadband light emits a range that filters then narrow to your concern. In practice people use IPL and photofacial interchangeably, and that is what this page is about.
Briefly, and most people manage without numbing. Each pulse feels like a warm snap against the skin, usually described as a light elastic band flick. Cool gel is applied first and the handpiece is chilled. Areas with more pigment to treat feel more noticeable. The face takes 20 to 30 minutes and the sensation stops when the treatment does.
Not in the peeling sense, but plan for how it looks. The skin is pink and warm for a few hours. Then treated brown spots get temporarily darker, sometimes noticeably so, before lifting and flaking away over about a week. Makeup covers it, but if you have an event in the next fortnight it is worth timing around. The redness component fades without any visible stage.
Usually three to five, spaced a few weeks apart, with each session building on the last. How many depends on how much accumulated damage there is. Many people then return once or twice a year, because a photofacial clears the damage you already have. It does not stop new damage forming.
This is the honest limitation of broadband light. It works by targeting pigment, and it cannot fully distinguish pigment in a sun spot from pigment in your skin. On deeper skin tones that raises a real risk of burns and pigment changes. For some skin types we will recommend against a photofacial and suggest an alternative that carries less risk. Your skin type is assessed before anything is booked, and we would rather turn the treatment down than take a chance with it.
Cautiously, and often not. Melasma is heat-sensitive and broadband light can trigger it to rebound worse than before. Some cases respond to conservative settings, many are better managed with topical treatment and strict sun protection first. If you have melasma alongside sun spots, those are two different problems and we will treat them as such rather than hoping one session handles both.
Only if you can genuinely stay out of the sun. This is the treatment where that rule bites hardest, because tanned skin changes how the light is absorbed and raises the risk of a reaction. You need to avoid sun and self-tanner before each session and be diligent with sunscreen afterwards. In Florida that is a real commitment, which is why many people run their series in autumn and winter.
It depends on whether your concern is colour or texture. Photofacials work on colour: brown spots, redness, vessels, tone. Resurfacing works on the surface itself: texture, pores, fine lines, scarring. If your skin is smooth but blotchy, start here. If it is even in tone but rough, start with resurfacing. Many people eventually do both, and we will tell you which order makes sense for you.
Didn’t see your question here? Just ask us. Nothing is too basic and we would rather you booked knowing exactly what to expect.
Treatments that solve a different problem to a photofacial, and work well alongside it.
There’s nothing to decide today. Come in, tell us what’s been bothering you about your skin, and we’ll tell you honestly whether a photofacial will change it.
Your sessions are performed by a licensed medical aesthetician, not a technician trained over a weekend.
Broadband light is not right for every skin type. If yours is one where the risk outweighs the benefit, we will tell you and suggest something better suited.
10920 Moss Park Rd, Ste 218. Easy parking, minutes from Medical City and the 417.
If you’re not quite ready to book but would love some guidance, we’re here to help. Leave us your details and a member of our team will personally reach out to you today! Our friendly Lake Nona Medical Spa team is here to answer your questions and recommend the best next step for your skin goals.
