EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BROADBAND LIGHT SKIN TREATMENTS (BBL)

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BroadBand Light (BBL) skin treatments are really popular in the San Francisco Bay Area right now, and for good reason: they erase reds and browns in your skin and leave you with a more luminous complexion.

Here at L&P Aesthetics, we have seen incredible results from previously hyperpigmented patients, but you should know that BBL is NOT a one-time treatment.

There are some other things you should know about BBL skin treatments before jumping in on the latest skin craze.

BBL Is Not A-One-And-Done Treatment

Let us reiterate: BBL is NOT a one-and-done treatment. For real results, you need to start with a package of 4 BBL treatments and maintain your results by getting BBL at least 2 times per year from one of our expert providers.

Occasionally, there are people who are lucky enough to see beautiful results after only one BBL treatment, but we don’t promise this because it rarely happens. BBL can effectively treat these concerns with multiple treatments:

     

      • Vascular Lesions (e.g., small blood vessels)

      • Pigmented Lesions (e.g., freckles, age spots)

      • Loose Skin

      • Uneven skin texture

    The reason one BBL treatment is never enough is that over time our skin accumulates pigment from the sun, hormones, environmental factors, scarring etc so it takes a few sessions to address the layers of accumulated pigment.

    Since you will continue to expose your skin to these hazards after your BroadBand Light skin treatment, you cannot avoid picking up new pigment. Therefore, you will need get BBL treatments every year if you want to maintain your results.

    SPF Is Key To Great BBL Results

    Hopefully you know this already, but you must use a zinc / titanium SPF every day or it’s pointless to get BBL. BroadBand Light targets pigment and unless you are protecting your skin from the worst offender (the sun), there’s no point in getting BBL.

    It’s a misconception that you can’t get BBL in the summertime. At L&P Aesthetics, we treat patients with BBL all year long, but in the summer it is especially important to be diligent about applying sunscreen, wearing hats and avoiding excess sun exposure. And if you’re headed out on a sunny vacation, we usually recommend getting BBL after, not before, your vacation.

    Broad Band Light Treatment BBL before and after at L&P Aesthetics

    Downtime After BBL Is Different For Everyone

    If you have a lot of redness and / or sun damage, you will see a lot of pigment come to the surface after your first treatment. As the pigment leaves your skin, it usually looks like coffee grounds stuck on your face, and this lasts for 3 to 5 days post treatment. 

    Some people will have just a little bit of pigment leave their skin and they might not have any downtime at all.

    There aren’t any restrictions on makeup use after treatment, but depending on how much your skin reacts to the BBL, it might be difficult to cover for events less than a week after your treatment.

    BBL Is Not Entirely Pain-Free

    While BBL hurts a lot less than most laser treatments, we don’t tell patients that it is pain-free because most patients say it hurts a little.  The sensation is best described as a tiny rubber band being snapped against your skin, but it’s often the surprise of the pulses and not so much the physical sensation, that is uncomfortable to patients. Should you feel any physical discomfort during your treatment, your provider can apply a topical numbing to ease the pain.

    If you’d like to find out if BroadBand Light or BBL can help you achieve your skin goals, contact us and schedule a consultation with one of our facial aesthetic experts!

    Palo Alto
    (650) 407-2922

    Los Gatos
    (408) 402-3220

    Skin & Wellness
    (650) 327-3232