Sun Protection After BBL Phototherapy on Fair and Sensitive Skin?

BBL has been recommended for me. I am 50 with very fair and sensitive skin. I can only use zinc oxide or sun avoidance as I am allergic to Paba or Benzine, etc. I use Solumbra clothing/products and take supplements for a vitamin D deficiency. I am concerned about a post from a fair-skinned person claiming that BBL ruined her skin though she indicated that sun exposure may have caused dark spots afterwards. She thought her 30 SPF would protect her and it seems it didn’t. I would not even be able to use sunscreen. Can you advise?

Doctor Answers (1)

Sun protection after BBL on fair and sensitive skin


BBL phototherapy does not predispose you to hyperpigmentation unless there is a burn during the procedure.  If your procedure is done by an experienced, board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon, the likelihood of adverse events is significantly reduced.

What does happen after a BBL procedure is the amount of pigmentation, such as freckles and sun spots on your skin is reduced, making your skin more sun sensitive, as pigment in the skin adds some photoprotection. 

This increased sensitivity to sunlight will make you more likely to get more sun spots and hyperpigmentation.

There are two things you can do to minimize that.

1. Have the procedure during the late fall or winter months, when there is significantly less sunlight.  Make sure you do not go to a sunny place within a month after the procedure.

2. Use a chemical-free, high SPF sunscreen like Fallene COTZ, which is a water-resistant UVA-UVB SPF 58 sunscreen, that contains only titanium and zinc. It is specifically made for people with ultra-sensitive skin.

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