Intense Pulsed Light
Do you have age spots, sun spots, sun damage, wrinkles, or unwanted hair? A non invasive skin treatment called intense pulsed light (IPL) can help improve your skin tone, texture, and color without surgery. Keep reading to learn everything there is to know about intense pulsed light treatment and what it can do for your skin.
What is intense pulsed light therapy?
Intense pulsed light is a type of bright light that can penetrate deep into the skin. The technology is similar to laser treatments. It is used to perform photofacials or facial rejuvenation. IPL can help improve many of the signs of photodamage and facial aging. It is most commonly used to treat red spots and brown spots in the skin and perform hair removal.
Intense pulsed light therapy can undo some of the damage caused by age and sun exposure, which is known as photoaging and is most commonly noticeable on the face, neck, chest, hands and other exposed areas of the skin.
Intense pulsed light therapy is a non invasive treatment with a good safety profile, minimal pain, low risk of side effects, no downtime, and a short recovery period.
How does an IPL photofacial work?
The light pulses have several effects that help improve the appearance of sun damage in the skin. The intense pulsed energy causes narrowing of the blood vessels under the skin surface, thereby reducing redness and treating vascular lesions. The light waves act on the melanin (pigment) in the skin cells and selectively destroy darker particles, helping to make the skin less splotchy and patchy and giving the skin a more even texture. The heat from intense pulsed light can destroy a hair follicle and thereby help in reducing unwanted hair. IPL light pulses also help smooth out fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating collagen production. Collagen is a protein in the skin that gives it a smooth, youthful appearance. It takes 3-5 IPL treatments to get the best results.
What does intense pulsed light therapy do for your face?
Intense pulsed light therapy can be used to treat several problems that plague human skin, such as sun damage, age spots, freckles, birthmarks, rosacea, varicose veins, vascular lesions, and unwanted hair on the face, neck, underarms, back, chest, bikini line, and legs.
How long do IPL results last?
When you are getting an IPL treatment done for sun spots (also called hyperpigmentation) or melasma (larger areas of discoloration), the treatment selectively injures the top layers of the age spots. This is achieved by charring of the target cells as a result of the heat energy generated by IPL devices. The body then clears the destroyed pigment over the following 3-4 weeks. This exposes the pigment underneath, which requires another IPL treatment.
Only the top layer of exposed pigment is injured each time by an IPL treatment. This is why you need multiple IPL treatments spaced 3-4 weeks apart to get rid of all the hyperpigmentation. Spacing the treatments is necessary to give the body time to clear the damaged pigment. Most patients need 3-5 treatments initially and then one IPL treatment every 3-4 months for maintenance.
Current trends in intense pulsed light: IPL vs BBL
IPL (intense pulsed light) and BBL (broadband light) are essentially the same thing, in that they are both technologies that use bright lights with cutoff filters. However, BBL is a next generation light energy treatment. It is easier to control and customize and can be used for a wider range of skin resurfacing treatments, including skin firming and tightening.
What's the difference between IPL and laser treatment?
IPL and laser are similar treatments. Both involve subjecting the skin to light energy, which is converted into heat. The heat destroys the hair follicles and helps to get rid of unwanted hair - this is also how laser hair removal works. The heat also destroys pigment in the skin and helps to clear up hyperpigmentation and blemishes like freckles.
The difference between IPL and laser is that IPL is broad spectrum, i.e., it includes light of several different wavelengths whereas laser focuses a single wavelength of light on the skin. Therefore, the light from IPL is more scattered and that from a laser is more focused. IPL penetrates into the middle layers of the skin (dermis) without damaging the top layers of the skin (epidermis), so the recovery is faster.
IPL devices work as well as lasers for many skin resurfacing treatments, such as redness due to broken vessels in the skin. For hair removal, IPL therapy works better on thick and dark hair compared to fine and light hair.
Preparing for IPL treatments
During your initial consultation, your dermatologist or aesthetic provider will examine your skin to determine if you are a good candidate for the treatments. They will also obtain all your health information. Intense pulsed light IPL treatment may not be suitable for some skin types or in people with certain skin conditions. Choosing a qualified dermatologist or aesthetic provider for your IPL treatments is important. This will ensure the treatments are only recommended to you if you are an appropriate candidate.
In preparation for an IPL treatment, you should avoid exposure to sunlight and tanning beds. You should also avoid chemical peels and injection treatments like collagen injections. If you are undergoing IPL for removal of unwanted hair, you should stop waxing before your treatment.
Your dermatologist will give you instructions on stopping certain medications that can increase the risk of bleeding. You may also be advised to stop using certain vitamin A-containing creams and skin products.
What does the intense pulsed light procedure involve?
The dermatologist will first clean the target area and apply a cooling gel to the skin. You will be given dark glasses to wear to protect your eyes during the treatment. The provider will then apply the IPL device to the treatment area. You might experience a mild stinging sensation. Patients describe the sensation like a rubber band being snapped against the skin. The treatment usually lasts 20-30 minutes depending on the part of the body being treated. As noted, it usually takes 3-5 skin rejuvenation treatments to see improvement in aging skin or damaged skin. IPL therapy for hair removal may require 6-12 treatments.
What can I expect after a photofacial?
There is no downtime after IPL therapy. You should be able to return to regular activities the same day. You may notice some redness, swelling, and sensitivity in the treated area for a few hours. The feeling is something like a mild sunburn on the face. This can last for a couple of days. It is recommended that you avoid washing the treated area with hot water until your skin heals. You should practice good skin care as advised by your dermatologist to get the best results from IPL.
Is IPL safe? Are there any side effects of intense pulsed light therapy?
IPL therapy is a safe procedure with a very low risk of complications and side effects. The most common side effects of the treatment are bruising, blister formation, infection, and changes in skin color.
Can IPL damage your skin?
IPL therapy is a non-ablative treatment that does not cause any significant damage to the skin. The devices used to perform IPL therapy have limited power compared to ablative laser treatment and therefore a lower risk of skin damage.
Can IPL damage eyes?
Like a laser, IPL can damage the eyes. However, when the treatment is performed by a qualified provider, they will take precautions, such as giving you dark glasses to wear during the treatments, to ensure there is no harm to your eyes.
Does IPL lighten skin?
IPL therapy can help to lighten darker patches of skin because the light energy selectively targets darker pigment.
Are there home IPL machines available? Do they work?
You can buy a handheld IPL device for use at home to reduce unwanted body hair and fuzz. These devices are not cheap - even the most affordable ones cost upwards of $300. At-home IPL devices can produce good results for some people, but there are no long-term studies demonstrating the safety and longevity of the results.
It is worth noting that a handheld device for use at home has a low intensity for safety purposes. The low intensity device can soften but not destroy the hair, leaving it blonde or extremely fair. This can be a problem if you later decide to get professional IPL treatments, which can be difficult to do on fair hair.
Also, the biggest risk with using intense pulsed light at home are medical contraindications. Not all patients are suitable for IPL treatments. Some people may not read the complete list of contraindications included with the IPL device, and consequently suffer complications. In contrast, when you get IPL done in a professional setting, the doctors evaluate your skin type and health history and make sure you are a good candidate for the procedure.
Costs and insurance
IPL is a cosmetic procedure and it is not covered by most health insurance policies. The cost of IPL treatments varies from $700 to $1,200. However, there can be additional costs for medicines or anesthesia, if required.
Finding a provider for IPL
The MeTime app makes it easy to find dermatologists and other certified aesthetic providers in your area. You can click and upload pictures and have suggestions sent directly to you. Want to find out if IPL therapy is right for you? Try the MeTime app now!