The “DL” on BBL

Lasers have entered the building at Med Spa @ Skin MPLS! The choice of which one to bring in first was easy – BBL (BroadBand Light) has decades of research and development to prove it an advanced treatment staple. On top of that, BBL has no downtime, little pain, tackles a range of concerns, and is affordable compared to other lasers on the market. Here is everything you need to know about BBL!

What does BBL do? 

BBL targets and treats both red (vascular) and brown (hyperpigmentation) spots. The way BBL works is it uses lightwaves to target chromophores in the skin. Chromophores are a fancy word for colored molecules or pigments in the skin. When the skin is treated with the BBL light therapy, the red chromophores get darker or disappear instantly as the blood vessels are destroyed and the brown chromophores get darker, and eventually, that unwanted pigment surfaces and flakes off. In addition to targeting pigmented skin, BBL improves damaged skin in general and stimulates collagen. And it has been shown to tighten the jawline and neck over time.

Is BBL worth my investment? 

Studies have proven that BBL treatments 2-4 times a year will keep the skin from aging and even reverse the signs of aging. That is a great reason to opt with BBL over newer, trendier lasers. It has the science of decades of research to prove it is effective, and again, with little pain and no downtime. 

In a perfect world, a person without skin concerns would opt to do a BBL treatment quarterly or twice a year because BBL can correct sagging skin and keep our skin tone even. And who doesn’t need those things?!

The other perfect candidate for a BBL is someone who has sun damage. The BBL technology will spot treat and clean up that damage. Some will flake off, while some stubborn spots may take time and multiple treatments. After a series of 2-4 BBL sessions, aim to keep them up quarterly or twice a year to continue the results. Sun avoidance and good homecare are still number one for healthy skin, and BBL cannot be performed on skin that has had recent sun exposure.

Rosacea-prone skin is also an excellent candidate for BBL, especially because rosacea is challenging to simply treat topically. Our BBL machine even has a special setting for rosacea that picks up that vascular redness and capillaries. With regular treatments, you can almost “cure” the appearance of rosacea over time.

What else do I need to know? 

BBL has almost no downtime because you can apply makeup or products immediately after treatment. But you may get a little swollen under the eyes, pink for up to a few days, and your pigmentation spots will be more pronounced. It is essential to stay out of the sun for four weeks before and after your BBL (and, of course, always)! Outside of that, you will not want to over-exfoliate the week leading up to your BBL. Before your appointment, you will get all this information emailed to you. Feel free to ask any of the team here for more information at your next appointment.

BBL doesn’t feel great during the session, but your “pain” should never get above a 4 out of 10. We need you to feel the effects of the laser in real time and provide feedback to keep it from burning, which is why we don’t numb your skin. Trickier skin concerns require different wavelengths of light, so some parts of your treatment might feel more painful than others. Still, it’s so satisfying to zap those stubborn sunspots, freckles, broken capillaries, and rosacea hot zones!

What could go wrong? 

It’s important to understand that lighter skin tones have less melanin, so it is easier for the laser to pick up that pigment. If you have more melanin-rich skin, it is more likely the BBL light can burn and cause long-term damage. Some deeper skin tones may be a candidate once we fully finesse our ways, while some will never. However, we have deeper chemical peels and microneedling as options for those patients with even more options coming eventually!

BBL is also not a good option for melasma as heat can trigger more melasma. For melasma, short-term benefits can be seen with BBL, so some medispas may still treat these clients. But, the benefit of Skin MPLS is that we always put the skin's integrity before selling a treatment and will instead urge the patient towards a better treatment plan. Rest assured, if we ask you personal questions about your nationality, it is only to make 100% sure your skin will be safe with the procedure!

It's also extremely important to go to a trusted professional. In Minnesota, any aesthetician can operate a laser under a medical director. BBL lasers are very safe when used correctly, but when they are not used correctly you can risk blistering, burning, and hyper and hypopigmentation. The other risk is not getting results because the person operating the laser is not confident enough to go deep into the skin. If you are not a trained professional, it's hard to know if the person you see is the right person. This is why Skin MPLS has expanded into medical treatments; we are passionate about treating skin to the very highest standard.

While a BBL is not in everyone's budget, we do our best to make it approachable. We know that plenty of you are investing in more expensive, invasive, and elective skin procedures – so you can know this investment is worth it while still going to the skin studio you trust with your facial treatments. For our more practical patients, if you are affected by sun damage, rosacea, sagging skin, and broken capillaries, it might be time to redo the budget to prioritize feeling more confident in your skin. Again, remember that a good, professional, targeted homecare and a consistent routine are always going to be number one and can be customized to fit any budget!