Levulan & Sun Damaged Skin

For Sun Damaged Skin...
There’s Light at the
End of the Tunnel.
...Blu-U Light

Now the damage done to your skin by sunlight
can be “undone”
using a light of
a different color!

BLU-U light is great news for us fair-skinned “children of Europe” who’ve spent years swimming, boating and playing in the California sun. If you’ve tried the conventional remedies for sun damage and were “underwhelmed” by the results, Levulan will be a pleasant surprise. All in all, nearly every able-bodied person who’s outdoorsy and 40+ could do him or herself a good turn by getting a dose of BLU-U at the end of summer. Here’s why. AK’S Are Not Your Friend. Dermatologists call them “actinic keratosis” but to the layman they are mottled brownish pigment, rough surface patches and sallow cast we see on our arms, chest, face and hands once our tan fades. AK’s aren’t pretty, but more importantly they can be dangerous. Doctors suspect they can morph into squamous cell carcinomas that can reach down deep and spread into other tissue. The best plan is to get AK’s off your skin. Until now that meant Topical 5 Flourouracil or freezing or abrading them one at a time--methods that can be harsh, particularly on senior skin. Gentle, effective and FDA-approved, patients love this new procedure. Treatment begins with application of Levulan solution, or aminolevulinic acid HCI. The treated area is then “exposed” in the BLU-U lightbay, which emits high intensity, short wavelength light in the “safe” spectrum.

Patients notice a little stinging when Levulan is first applied. Nothing big. Light exposure takes a few minutes. Protective eyewear is used. There’s some redness/puffiness afterwards that, oddly enough, looks like a sunburn. Aftercare is important to protect the area while it heals. Avoid chaffing. Cleanse with tepid water, no soap. Use aftercare cremes provided. NO SUN. Long sleeves, a hat, whatever. Sunscreen won’t be enough, Getting treated in the winter makes good sense. Patients come in for progress checks. Gradually, the rough patches slough off and the pigment comes to the surface and dissipates. Many AK’s clear with only one round of therapy but subsequent treatments can be needed. Levulan PDT gives the skin a fresh start and patients the peace of mind that a crusty but harmless AK won’t turn into something a whole lot nastier.