Age Spots - Asian Skin
Hello,
I read old posts of recommendations on this topic and would like to get updates and new recommendations.
Two years ago, I contacted Kaiser regarding laser treatment for age spots. The person in charge (not a doctor, I believe) from the clinic in Oakland told me that because I have Asian skin, there was no guarantee it would scar nicely. I felt discouraged. A friend recommended a specialized nurse but her office is in South San Francisco and she charges $300 one time.
I am writing to ask (1) if you have Asian skin, have you had laser treatment successfully? How long did it take for the scar to heal? (2) Who would you recommend in east bay? (3) Is $300 a common price?
I don't have health issues. My age spots are getting darker despite wearing sunscreen and a hat when I do gardening. Also, they are bigger on the right side (probably from being exposed while driving).
Thank you for your response and positive insights!
Parent Replies
Hello,
I am asian and have battled dark age spots on my skin for most of my life. I am diligent with daily sunscreen and wearing wide brimmed hats. I finally went to a cosmetic dermatologist who recommended a series of chemical peels, prescription bleaching creme at night, and a vitamin c serum from Skinceuticals on clean skin in the morning. The combination has worked for me. My spots are much, much lighter, but they are still visible. The dermatologist said that it is a condition that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life.
The chemical peels were done on my lunch hour, and caused mild peeling, but I did not have to take any time off for healing.
Good luck!
There is an even better solution than expensive, semi ineffective (and rather painful) peels. I'm going to sound like a shill but very seriously - the Obagi system WORKS. I had terrible age spots, my family is prone to them. I have done lasers, peels, everything. The only thing that has worked is Obagi - and it is a true miracle drug (or rather, a series of miracle drugs as you use several products in combination). It has to be prescribed and you need a dermatologist's management. I think it costs around $600-$700 when you first start the process, but this is way cheaper than lasers. I used Dr Evan Ransom in SF. There are 2 lines of Obagi, due to a split between the founders at some point - you want to use the original Obagi products. Ive used both product lines and the originals work way better. Look at pix online - you'll see Asian women/men. It's just amazing and it's not BS. You'll endure some skin irritation and redness for a couple of months, but you will literally see your age spots disappearing. Nothing works better and Obagi confers other benefits too - but it's a slam dunk for brown spots.