Beauty And The Blog

Poikiloderma Civatte (the Civatte refers to just below the epidermis/skin). I mentioned this skin condition in “Anti-Aging, Skin Care and IPL Treatment: Part I”.

Sounds scary, huh? It’s not. It’s a pigmentation issue caused by over exposure to the sun without sunscreen as a child. So all you moms out there, protect your little ones. Now that we have so many great sun protection products available, use them! Some researchers believe it is also hereditary as it seems to show up repeatedly in families.

Poikiloderma Civatte can take years to show up on the surface of the skin. It is mostly middle aged women (me), and sometimes men, that get this. It does sometimes show up in much younger individuals. It is predominately a female issue for some odd reason that no one has yet figured out. Hormonal perhaps?

So anyway, Poikiloderma Civatte is a brownish or reddish discoloration that appears on the neck, upper chest and sometimes the cheeks.  The more you expose the area unprotected to the sun, the more prominent it becomes. In some cases it can be itchy and/or scaly. Mine was fairly minor and only on the neck. It did not itch or appear scaly.

Can I tell you how much I did not like having this discoloration on my neck? I did not have as much discoloration as pictured above, but still it bothered me. I had been told at one time that my only option to remove it would be a laser treatment. Long downtime with the blistering and peeling. And costly.

IPL or Laser treatments are not usually covered by insurance as they are considered a cosmetic procedure in most cases.

So when my doctor told me that IPL was now being used with great result to treat Poikiloderma Civatte, I nearly jumped off the table and kissed her! No downtime, lower cost! Cool! The cost was $150 per treatment. Cost varies depending on the size of the area being treated. It is not surgery. It is not invasive.

I had 3 IPL treatments. I did not find it uncomfortable, I did use the numbing cream. After a short waiting period for the cream to take effect, it was removed and a cold gel was applied to my skin. The doctor then began treating my skin with the IPL instrument. Short little bursts of light that felt slightly hot and a bit like a rubber band being snapped against my skin. And the machinery made a funny noise, zap! Ice was rolled over my skin to cool and sooth. That was also a contributor to my comfort level during the procedure.

After the 3rd treatment I was pleased. My results were exactly what I wanted and what my doctor expected.The discoloration was reduced to the point of being nearly undetectable. Yes, it was anti-aging and instant skin care for an issue that was making my neck look old and mottled. Now it was smooth and fresh. I chose to stop treatment at this point to avoid over doing it and ending up with skin lighter than the rest of my skin tone and having a whole new issue.

I had no adverse reaction and no undesirable side effects. Although some people could so be sure to have that conversation with your doctor.

The downside for me? Remember that I said in Part I “think lunch time procedure”? I went back to work. No shopping, no movie. Silly me, playing hooky would have been so much more fun.

And, hey! If you have an IPL treatment, you must, must, must wear sunscreen. It is imperative that you protect that beautifully restored skin!