Laser & Light in Atlanta
BBL Skin Treatment in Atlanta
BroadBand Light that clears sun spots, redness, and rosacea. This is a skin treatment, not a Brazilian Butt Lift.
CONSULTATION
Required if you have deeper skin
TREATMENT LENGTH
30 to 45 minutes
SESSIONS
About 3, plus maintenance
DOWNTIME
Minimal
AREAS
Face, neck, chest, hands
OFFERED AT
Buckhead and Westside
The Approach
BBL sees color. It finds the brown of a sun spot and the red of a broken capillary, and it clears them.
First, because the acronym is genuinely confusing: BBL here means BroadBand Light, a light-based skin treatment on the Sciton BBL Hero. It is not a Brazilian Butt Lift. If you came looking for the body procedure, this is not that page.
What it actually does is deliver pulses of light that are absorbed by pigment and by the redness of blood vessels. The energy breaks up brown spots and calms redness, and it heats the deeper skin enough to prompt new collagen. Over the following weeks your skin looks clearer, more even, and brighter. It is a form of IPL, intense pulsed light, and a more advanced and customizable one, which is why it can address several concerns in a single session. It is one of the best treatments there is for sun-damaged skin on the face, chest, and hands.
Candidacy
Are You a Candidate?
Beyond skin tone, which comes first and is covered above, BBL suits most people with sun damage, redness, or acne who can protect their skin afterward.
If BBL is not safe for your skin, we will tell you and offer something that is. That is not us turning you away. It is us not burning you.
You are likely a good candidate if:
- Your concerns are color: sun spots, freckles, redness, rosacea, or acne
- Your skin tone is in the range BBL treats safely, which we confirm first
- You can commit to a short series and to diligent sun protection afterward
- You are not actively tanned and can stay out of the sun before and after
Scope
What BBL Treats Best
It treats
BBL is a color specialist. Sun spots, age spots, and freckles. General sun damage and uneven tone. Redness, flushing, and the visible vessels of rosacea. Acne, through a distinct mechanism. And overall dullness, by prompting collagen and circulation. It works on the face, neck, chest, and the backs of the hands, which are where sun damage accumulates and often where age shows first.
It does not treat
It is not a texture treatment. Deep wrinkles, acne scarring, and rough or crepey texture are collagen-and-resurfacing problems better addressed by Moxi, Halo, or microneedling. BBL will brighten and even your skin and prompt some collagen, and it will not resurface it. If your main concern is texture rather than color, we will point you to the right device.
Skin Tone
Is BBL Safe for Your Skin Tone?
BBL works by targeting pigment. That is a strength on lighter skin, where the device can find a brown spot against a pale background. It is a risk on deeper skin, where there is more pigment in the surrounding skin for the light to be absorbed by, which raises the chance of burns and of paradoxical darkening, meaning the treatment can leave you with more discoloration than you started with.
This is why we assess your skin type before treating you, and why, for some patients with medium-to-deep skin, we will recommend a different treatment that is safer for you rather than BBL. Any provider who books you for BBL without asking about your skin type is one to be cautious of.
If BBL is not right for your skin, we have options that are, including certain lasers and microneedling, and we will point you to them.
Choosing
BBL or Moxi?
BBL
Color
- Targets color: pigment and redness.
- Sun spots, freckles, redness, rosacea, and acne.
- Minimal downtime.
- Not safe for every skin tone. We screen first.
Moxi
Texture
- Targets texture, gently. Non-ablative resurfacing.
- Early texture and tone, and a gentler option overall.
- A few days of downtime.
- Safer across more skin tones.
Halo sits above both, a hybrid that treats texture and pigment together with several days to a week of downtime and more correction in one go. Microneedling is the mechanical option for scarring and texture, and it is safe across skin tones. And many patients combine BBL with Moxi in the same visit, BBL for the spots and Moxi for the texture, which is among the most common pairings we run.
Longevity
How Long Do BBL Results Last?
You will see initial results in about 7 to 10 days, as treated spots flake away and redness settles, with full improvement building over several weeks as collagen responds. Once a sun spot is cleared, it is cleared. What brings pigment back is new sun exposure creating new spots over time, which is why diligent daily SPF is not an afterthought here, it is what protects your investment. Most patients do a series of about three sessions to clear existing damage, then maintenance once or twice a year. Rosacea and redness similarly benefit from periodic maintenance, since the underlying tendency remains.
Aftercare
What Happens Afterward
BBL has minimal downtime, and there is one part of the process that surprises people if nobody warns them.
During treatment
Most people describe a quick, warm snap, like a rubber band flicked against the skin, repeated across the area. Brief, and manageable with a cooling tip.
First few hours
Mild redness, like a light sunburn, which typically settles within a few hours.
Next day
Most people return to normal activities. Some the same day.
Days 2 to 5
Treated pigment darkens, comes to the surface, and begins to flake, sometimes described as looking like coffee grounds. This is the treatment working, not a complication.
7 to 10 days
Flaking resolves and clearer skin appears underneath.
Weeks after
Improvement continues as collagen responds.
Do not pick at any darkening, crusting, or flaking. Picking risks scarring and uneven pigment, and it is the fastest way to turn a good result into a problem. Let it shed on its own.
Your Experience
Your Personalized Treatment Experience
Consultation
We assess your skin type first, because that determines whether BBL is safe for you, then your concerns and your goals. If BBL is not right for your skin, we tell you and point you to what is.
Treatment
Thirty to forty-five minutes. The BBL Hero’s wavelength is tuned to your skin and your target, and the light is delivered in pulses across the area. A warm snapping sensation, and a cooling tip.
Aftermath
Mild redness for a few hours. Treated spots darken and flake over days. Do not pick. Strict SPF.
Results
Clearer, more even skin in 7 to 10 days, building over weeks. A series to clear, then maintenance to hold.
The Practice
Why Patients Choose Artisan
We check your skin type before we treat you
On a pigment-targeting device, that is the difference between a great result and a burn, and not every provider bothers. If BBL is not safe for you, we will tell you and offer something that is.
Every laser under one roof
BBL for color, Moxi and Halo for texture, microneedling for scarring. We match you to the device your skin needs, not the one we own, because we own them all.
A provider who does this constantly
Atlanta’s all-female team
Founded by Dr. Diane Z. Alexander, MD, FACS, with aesthetics led by Lauren Bays. 25+ years.
FAQ
BBL FAQs
Wait, is BBL a Brazilian Butt Lift?
No. On this page, BBL means BroadBand Light, a light-based skin treatment on the Sciton BBL Hero that clears sun spots, redness, and rosacea. It is completely unrelated to the Brazilian Butt Lift body procedure that shares the acronym.
Is BBL safe for my skin tone?
It depends. BBL targets pigment, which makes it very effective on lighter skin and genuinely risky on deeper skin, where it can cause burns or darkening. We assess your skin type before treating you, and for some patients we will recommend a safer option instead. Be wary of any provider who books you for BBL without asking about your skin type.
What is the difference between BBL and IPL?
BBL is a more advanced, more customizable form of IPL. Both use light to treat the skin, but BBL offers a broader range of adjustable wavelengths, which lets us target several concerns precisely in a single session.
Why did my spots get darker after treatment?
That is the treatment working. Treated pigment often darkens, rises to the surface, and flakes off over several days, sometimes looking like coffee grounds. Do not pick at it. Let it shed, and you are left with clearer skin in a week to ten days.
BBL or Moxi?
BBL is for color, meaning pigment and redness. Moxi is a gentle resurfacing laser for texture and tone, and it is safer across more skin tones. Many patients do both together, BBL for spots and Moxi for texture, in one visit.
How much does BBL cost?
It is priced per session and by area, and because it is a series plus maintenance, it is a recurring cost. We give you the full picture at consultation.
What does BBL treat?
Color, mainly: sun spots, age spots, freckles, general sun damage, redness, and rosacea. It also treats acne through a separate mechanism. It is not a texture treatment, so for wrinkles, scarring, or rough texture, a resurfacing laser or microneedling is a better fit.
Does it hurt?
Most people describe a quick, warm snap, like a rubber band against the skin, repeated across the area. It is brief and usually easily tolerated, helped by a cooling tip.
How many sessions will I need?
Usually about three to clear existing sun damage, then maintenance once or twice a year for new pigment. For acne, the number depends on severity. We will map it out at consultation.
How long do results last?
Once a sun spot is cleared, it is gone. What brings pigment back is new sun exposure over time, which is why daily SPF is essential to protecting your results. Maintenance sessions address whatever new pigment accumulates.
Is there downtime?
Minimal. Expect mild redness for a few hours and treated spots darkening and flaking over a few days. Most people return to normal activities the next day.
Can BBL treat my chest and hands?
Yes. The chest and the backs of the hands are among the most common BBL areas, because they collect sun damage and often reveal age before the face does.
Clear the spots, calm the red, and protect it with SPF.
Come in and we will check that BBL is safe and right for your skin, and if it is not, tell you honestly what is.