What is IPL Photofacial treatment?
IPL rejuvenation: intense pulsed light and how it works. Rejuvenation technology has leaped forward over the past 20 years. It's not necessary to go under the surgeon's knife to tighten the skin and remove age spots today.
IPL or Intense Pulsed Light is a type of light therapy. Light therapy is used for skin rejuvenation and treatment, prevention of wrinkles, removal of pigmentation and excess hair.
What it will give your clients?
• Removal of age spots
• Treatment of solar pigmentation
• Removal of freckles
• Correction of dilated veins (varicose veins)
• Correction of birthmarks
• Rosacea treatment
• Treatment of couperosis
• Removal of excess hair on the face and body
How does IPL differ from laser resurfacing?
Light therapy is quite different from laser therapy, although it has some similarities. Laser beams act on the skin in a localized, pointwise manner.
IPL therapy uses a large number of waves and acts directly on a large area of the skin. Some have compared the principle of IPL technique to a camera flash.
• The intense pulse light is scattered and less focused. Its rays penetrate into the middle layers of the epidermis without damaging the top layer of the skin.
• Cells absorb light energy and convert it into heat. This amount of heat destroys the pigment of skin and hair follicles. Thanks to this, the skin regains an even color and smoothness.
• IPL therapy can be used anywhere on the body. However, we do not recommend using IPL if you have a keloid disposition.
How to prepare for IPL therapy?
1. It's not recommended to sunbathe
2. You need to stop taking some drugs in 14 days (consultation with a doctor is required)
3. Eliminate the use of chemical peels on the selected area of the skin
4. Avoid any injections 14 days before the IPL procedure
5. It's not recommended to use creams based on vitamin A and glycolic acid during preparation.
Stages of the IPL procedure.
We don't want only to enhance your beauty, but also to safe your health. That's why, we recommend to consult with specialist before the IPl procedure.
An experienced specialist will identify possible risks or individual contraindications.
1. Consultation with a specialist
2. Cleansing the skin area. The better the skin is cleansed, the easier it's for light pulses to penetrate into the deep layers of the epidermis.
3. Anesthetic cream. IPL therapy is considered one of the most painless procedures. But for your comfort, we will apply a local anesthetic.
4. Protection. We will wear special black glasses to protect your eyes.
5. IPL skin phototherapy. Patient reviews compare IPL skin phototherapy with a slight tingling sensation or a slight burning sensation.
Processing time: 20-30 minutes. Time may vary depending on individual characteristics or the selected area of the skin.
Number of procedures: 3-6 sessions. The number of sessions can be increased depending on individual characteristics. For example, removing unwanted light-colored hair will require more treatments than removing dark hair.
Benefits of IPL phototherapy
• Painless
• Fast
• Safe. The intense pulsed light does not damage tissue.
• Minimal risks of complications
• Doesn't cause an allergic reaction
Potential risks
We know how important it's to be knowledgeable before any procedure. Therefore, we will honestly talk about what you can see in some cases.
• Redness, tenderness, and swelling. This is a normal reaction of the body, which will pass without additional effort during the first day.
• Bruising and discoloration of the skin. Rare enough. Usually, it is associated with low professionalism of the doctor and illiterate settings of apparatus.
• Infection. Very rare, but it can occur if the doctor doesn't follow the rules for performing the procedure. We ask you not to trust specialists without education or in questionable institutions!
IPL phototherapy, performed by a competent doctor using a high-class apparatus, doesn't cause risks and complications after the procedure.
What can replace IPL?
1. Laser resurfacing.
Laser treatments use the point effect of a laser beam on the epidermis. Laser resurfacing is great for removing age spots, freckles, scars.
Laser resurfacing gently removes the top layer of the skin, helping it renew itself. Can be used on all skin types, even tanned ones. The number of sessions with laser resurfacing is much less than that of IPl phototherapy.
2. Treatment with Fraxel laser.
Fraxel laser therapy is a non-ablative method. It penetrates into the deep layers of the epidermis without damaging the top layer. Fraxel is great for correcting sun pigmentation, wrinkles and acne scars.
It works best in conjunction with an ablative laser (laser resurfacing). No special recovery from the session is required.
3. Microdermabrasion.
Microdermabrasion is a gentle method of exfoliating the upper layer of the epidermis using abrasive particles. Microdermabrasion is more commonly used to remove sun and age spots.
Compared to laser resurfacing, the result will require more procedures. The duration of the result will be much shorter compared to IPL skin phototherapy.
4. Laser hair removal.
A highly effective and durable way to get rid of unwanted body and facial hair. The laser beams penetrate into the deep layers of the skin without damaging the upper epidermis. The laser acts on the hair follicle, the energy is converted into heat, which destroys the bulb.
Several sessions guarantee long-term, high-quality results. It usually takes more sessions to remove blond hair.
Contraindications to IPL therapy
• Tanned or dark skin
• Dermatitis
• Eczema
• Open wounds
• Viral and infectious diseases
• Individual contraindications
The cost of IPL phototherapy: from $100. The exact cost depends on the selected area of the skin and the individual characteristics of the patient.
Article prepared by Anton Borsalo - Laser Esthetician
