Rejuvenating your skin—and erasing signs of post-summer sun damage—doesn’t have to be a whole to-do, and there are a variety of treatments that help restore a healthy, radiant complexion with little to no downtime. Based in New York City and Miami, dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali says, “Good skincare is perhaps the most important step you can take to preserve your youth,” and his first anti-aging recommendation is using sunscreen each and every day, regardless of season. “It not only helps protect against skin cancer but slows signs of aging as well. Even more, sunscreen can also limit the amount of pigmentation and discoloration we see,” he explains. Sure, prevention is key, but if you need helpeliminating dark spots and smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, these are the preferred professional treatments that can help get your skin back on track.

Broad-Band Light (BBL)
A supercharged version of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), BBL targets dark spots, uneven skin texture, redness, skin firmness and sun damage with no downtime (although skin may be red for up to a day after treatment but makeup can be applied immediately afterwards). Dr. Bhanusali says, “This is my favorite combination treatment for brown and red discoloration on the face and chest, and many of our patients get it in the fall to undo summer-induced damage.” BBL provides skin rejuvenating benefits by using heat and light to stimulate collagen production, and unwanted pigment rises to the skin’s surface and flakes off within a week after treatment. A series of BBL sessions is generally recommended for optimal results, but skin improvement is visible after just one.

Clear + Brilliant
Perfect for thwarting early signs of aging and rejuvenating younger skin, Clear + Brilliant is designed for the prevention of age-related changes and complexion refinement. This treatment helps improve the appearance of fine lines, pores, tone, texture and radiance in just 30 minutes, and Dr. Bhanusali shares that this is a very popular treatment before red carpets, weddings and other big events. “Clear + Brilliant helps the skin look fresh and healthy, and the Perméa version for pigment works very well.” Patients generally experience a day of mild redness at most, which is a small price to pay for visible improvement in texture and tone. 

Halo
The laser-based Halo treatment targets visible surface imperfections such as discoloration, large pores, dullness, fine lines and rough texture, and delivers rejuvenating benefits to the deeper levels of the skin as well. This hybrid treatment combines a non-ablative wavelength for the top layers of skin and an ablative wavelength that stimulates the skin’s natural collagen production to target multiple concerns at once. With the flexibility to be performed as multiple “light” treatments or one to two more intense treatments (depending on the patient’s willingness for downtime), the most common side effect is a sunburned appearance the day of treatment. Once redness subsides, the skin begins to develop a sandpaper-like feel and pigment rises to the surface. This rough layer begins to flake off after about five days, revealing fresh, healthy-looking skin beneath, and improvement continues over the first few months after treatment as new collagen forms.

Fraxel
A more intense version of Clear + Brilliant, Fraxel’s fractionated resurfacing provides significant improvement in both skin texture and pigment after just one treatment. Dr. Bhanusali’s go-to for rejuvenating the skin in patients over 50 years old (and for those with acne scarring), Fraxel requires two to four days of downtime in exchange for younger-looking skin. Three to five treatments are often recommended for optimal results, and Fraxel delivers both immediate and progressive improvement as new collagen replaces damaged tissue.