As we age, an ever-growing numbers of people are interested in improving the appearance of their skin. IPL photo facial, also known as Intense Pulse Light Therapy, or photo facial, can be used to help restore the skin’s youthful appearance.
The IPL photo facial treatment is ideal for people with active lifestyles because the procedure requires minimal downtime and has a low risk of side effects. The gentle, non-ablative treatments use broad spectrum light to treat the face, chest, neck and hands—virtually anywhere that sun damage shows.
What Are The Benefits Of IPL Treatment?
Photofacial treatments are great for treating a variety of skin conditions.
- Removes or reduces broken capillaries on the face or around the nose
- Reduces redness from rosacea
- Minimal downtime
- Reduces pigmentation
- Reduces fine line and wrinkles
- Stimulates collagen and elastin production
How Does Intense Pulsed Light Photo Facial Work?
A broad spectrum of light is transmitted through a small, smooth, transparent hand piece which is gently placed over the skin. Cut-off filters in the hand piece change the wavelength range allowing it to be optimized for different applications and skin types.
The light penetrates the tissue and is absorbed by either the blood when treating vascular lesions or the melanin when treating pigmented lesions. The body’s natural processes then removes the treated tissue giving the skin a more even and youthful appearance.
What Conditions Will It Treat?
Photofacial skin treatments using photo rejuvenation often consist of a full-face treatment or treatment of isolated body areas like the hands or chest. It can treat a variety of skin conditions, including:
Spider veins (broken capillaries around the nose)
Age spots
Brown spots
Sun spots
Freckles
Rosacea
Birthmarks
Hyperpigmentation
Port wine stains
Blood vessels
Skin texture
Seborrhoeaic keratoses
What is IPL?
Intense Pulsed Light, also known as IPL or photofacial, is a skin laser treatment that delivers high-intensity pulses of light that penetrate the skin and heat the sub-surface layers to reduce melanin, the dark pigment in skin, or haemoglobin, the red blood cells in blood vessels. This results in healthier, smoother skin.
How many Intense Pulsed Light treatments will I need?
The number of IPL treatments you need will depend on the condition of your skin and your desired results. Generally, patients need a series of 3-6 treatments, 4-8 weeks apart. After the initial series, treatments once every six months are recommended in order to maintain the effects.
How long do Photofacial sessions take?
Treatments for brown spots generally last about 30-45 minutes. The amount of time the session takes will depend on the size and the number of areas you are having treated.
Does it hurt?
We can apply a topical numbing cream before the age spots treatment to reduce the pain. Additionally, a cooling gel is applied to the skin’s surface to eliminate discomfort. Many patients say the laser feels like a rubber band snapping against the skin.
What can I expect after a treatment?
There is practically no recovery time after an IPL photofacial treatment. You can return to work or your normal daily activities the same day as your treatment for brown spots. If your skin is red after the age spots treatment, you can apply makeup to cover it up. This is a great treatment for brown spots if you don’t have a lot of time to spare after the procedure.
How long do results last?
The results are long lasting. During your consultation, our therapists will discuss a proper skin care regimen with you so that you can maintain your results for as long as possible. The better you take care of your skin, the longer your results will last. Many patients come back after a few years for touchup age spot treatments to rejuvenate their skin.
What are the side effects?
IPL has a strong track record for safety. Although, a few mild side effects include swelling, redness or discomfort for a few hours following brown spots treatment.
How much does it cost?
The cost of photofacial treatments is different for each patient. The cost of your treatment for brown spots will depend on the condition of you are trying to correct, the size of the area being treated and your desired results. During a consultation, one of our doctors will develop a personalized IPL treatment plan, including cost.
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