Should you avoid Broad Based Light (BBL) during the summer?

Question

I’d like to do about 4 treatments of BBL ( 1 treatment every 4-5 weeks). I have lots of sun damage, uneven skin tone, a few broken capillaries and a reddish hue to my skin. I was going to follow up with a halo about 2 months after my last BBL. Can I start this during the summer or should I wait until the fall?

J. Roberto Ramirez Gavidia, MD, FACS · Answer

You can absolutely have a BBL in the summer. The real question is whether you can commit to being out of the sun for at least two weeks before and after the treatment. Consider if any sunny vacations or pool days with the family are a big part of your plans. Sun avoidance is very important before treatment to insure safety and prevent damaging your natural skin pigment during treatment. Sun avoidance post treatment is important because BBL is a mega dose of light pushed deeply into your skin. Additional sun exposure afterwards when your skin is sensitized will at minimum undo your results, put you at risk for a serious sunburn, or stimulate your melanocytes worsening your skin issues and pigmentation. Always protect your skin with a broad spectrum SPF, wear a hat, and seek shade especially during peak sunny hours.

Michael Contreras, MD · Answer

The skin changes you are describing sound ideal for treatment with BBL and HALO.  Most patients who are not on a tight time schedule are advised to wait until the Fall/Winter --- however, I am in Colorado where the sun is more intense at the high altitude and outdoor activities are so popular.  At the least, I encourage my patients to have minimal sun exposure for 1 month before treatment, and then rigorous sun protection after treatment to prevent skin darkening and irritation.  Any tan of the skin will interfere with the end result and put you at more risk of pigmentary side effects.  If your skin is tanned or you plan to be outdoors frequently, treatment would have to be more conservative, which would translate to more treatments and more expense for optimal results.  I have found BBL combined with HALO, at the same visit, to be a highly effective treatment for exactly the changes you describe.  In addition to the improvement in pigmentation, I often see more than my anticipated improvement in redness.  In my experience the HALO/BBL combo also tends to improve superficial crepe-like wrinkling, and makes the skin look brighter and more refreshed than BBL can achieve alone. As with any rejuvenating procedure, maintenance will be crucial to prolonged results.  BBL every 6-12 months and HALO every 1-2 years could suffice as long as you have a strong topical regimen in place.

Victoria Karlinsky-Bellini, MD · Answer

There is no issue with doing BBL in the summer.  Simply be very diligent abut applying good sun screen that has Zinc or Titanium for maxim protection.

Rebecca Gelber, MD · Answer

You absolutely can do BBL at any time of year, including summer if you can make a commitment to strict sun avoidance. Sun avoidance for 1-2 weeks before is critical for your safety and results - if you arrive with freshly activated melanocytes (pigment producing cells) your chances of a complication like a burn or scar go way up. Your office will need to cancel your appointment or at very least turn it way down, cutting into your results and possibly resulting in a lost deposit.After BBL, your melanocytes are open and vunerable. If you get sun during the 1-2 weeks after, you can end up with far more sun damage than you started with. At any time of year, you can commit to reducing time outside to early morning and twilight while wearing a hat, scarf and good quality zinc or titanium containing sunscreen. In our office, we also sell a wide range of hats and visors which have neck and face flaps which can be worn when you need more protection and taken off for wear when you don't need as much protection. It's a perfect tool for before and after Halo, too!

Thomas D. Griffin Jr., MD · Answer

Bbl is perfectly safe any time of the year. Whether you should do the treatment at that time really depends on you and your habits. If you are a sitting by a pool or at the beach all summer getting sun it’s probably best to avoid BBL (or modify your habits), if you are good with a zinc oxide sunscreen and really don’t get much sun (no color) during summer BBL is perfectly fine. Remember docs who work in Florida, Arizona and California use BBL all the time.

Should you avoid Broad Based Light (BBL) during the summer?

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