Hello melasma. Hello age spots. This is 40 and beyond. I spent a lifetime in the sun and all that exposure has caught up with me. I found out on my 40th birthday that I had squamous cell carcinoma on my face and ended up having Mohs surgery after a visit with chemo cream. Since then I’ve tried to correct some of the damage that I’ve done over the years with blue light therapy, regular sunscreen, and niacinamide. Now, I’m on to lasers – specifically IPL. IPL heats the deeper layers of skin with high-intensity-pulsed light that corrects common flaws such as freckles, rosacea, birthmarks, brown spots, and spider veins. After the treatment, the skin has a smoother, healthier appearance. My first visit at Hopkins Dermatology was a quick appointment (less than 30 minutes) and the first of 3… maybe 4. A lotion was applied all over my face and goggles to protect my eyes from the light. Then the technician went around my face with the wand – each zap felt like a rubber band being popped on my skin. It didn’t hurt, just a little uncomfortable. I was told to wear sunscreen and stay out of direct sun. By the next day little brown dots appeared all over my face (it looked like coffee grounds which is what you see in the pics above). Those small brown spots took about two weeks to fully disappear, but weren’t bothersome. They didn’t itch and could be covered easily with makeup. The most noticeable difference was the texture of my skin. It feels much more hydrated and smooth. I go back in two weeks for my 2nd round and will post my after pictures when everything is done!