Laser & Light in Atlanta
BBL Skin Treatment in Atlanta
BroadBand Light that beautifully clears sun spots, redness, and rosacea for brighter, more even skin. A light-based skin treatment, not to be confused with the Brazilian Butt Lift.
CONSULTATION
Recommended
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
Clearer, Brighter, More Even Skin
A quick note on the name: BBL here stands for BroadBand Light, an advanced light-based skin treatment performed on the Sciton BBL Hero. It is a skin rejuvenation treatment and is unrelated to the Brazilian Butt Lift body procedure.
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
Is BBL Right for You?
BBL suits most people with sun damage, redness, or acne who can protect their skin afterward. Because BBL targets pigment, your provider will begin by assessing your skin tone, and if another treatment would suit your skin better, will recommend a beautiful alternative.
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 Can Do for Your Skin
A Color Specialist
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.
Best Paired for Smoother Texture
BBL brightens and evens your skin tone and gently stimulates collagen. For deeper wrinkles, acne scarring, or rough texture, your provider may recommend pairing it with Moxi, Halo, or microneedling for a complete result.
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 your provider assesses your skin type before every BBL treatment. For some patients with medium to deep skin tones, a different treatment will deliver beautiful results more safely.
Wonderful alternatives include Sylfirm RF microneedling for pigment and redness, along with other microneedling and laser options your provider can recommend for your skin.
Choosing
BBL or Moxi: Which Is Right for You?
BBL
Color
- Targets color: pigment and redness.
- Sun spots, freckles, redness, rosacea, and acne.
- Minimal downtime.
- Best suited to lighter skin tones, confirmed at your consultation
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.
Please avoid picking at any darkening, crusting, or flaking, since picking can lead to scarring or uneven pigment. Allow it to shed naturally to reveal your clearest, most even result.
Your Experience
Your Personalized Treatment Experience
Consultation
Your provider begins by assessing your skin type, then reviews your concerns and goals to confirm BBL is the ideal treatment for you, or to recommend a beautiful alternative.
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.
Aftercare
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
Thoughtful Skin Assessment First
Your provider evaluates your skin type before every treatment, so your plan is designed for both safety and beautiful results.
Every Laser Under One Roof
BBL for color, Moxi and Halo for texture, and microneedling for scarring, so your treatment is matched precisely to your skin.
Experienced, Expert Providers
Our aesthetic providers perform BBL treatments every day, bringing refined technique and careful attention to every session.
Atlanta’s All-Female Team
Co-founded by Dr. Diane Z. Alexander, MD, FACS, with more than 25 years of combined experience.
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?
BBL targets pigment, which makes it highly effective on lighter skin tones and less suited to deeper skin tones, where it can carry a risk of burns or darkening. Your provider assesses your skin type before every treatment and, if needed, will recommend a safe and effective alternative.
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, Bright, Radiant Skin Begins Here
Visit us for a consultation, and your provider will confirm whether BBL is the right fit for your skin or recommend a beautiful alternative designed for you.