IPL Treatments

Description

IPL works in a similar way to laser therapy. The difference is that where laser therapy delivers a single wavelength of light energy, IPL delivers multiple wavelengths. This means that IPL can treat a larger area of skin in a shorter time than laser therapy.

IPL uses light energy to target accurately and remove pigmented or damaged skin cells or hair follicles.

Using a handheld device, a medical professional will target multiple wavelengths of light onto the skin. This light heats cells in the skin and breaks them down. The body then removes the damaged tissue naturally.

People may choose IPL as a treatment for a range of skin issues. These include:

• acne scars
• birthmarks
• rosacea, a condition that causes redness of the face
• hyperpigmentation, including liver or age spots and freckles
• melasma, a condition causing brown or grey-brown skin patches
• scars
• spider veins
• stretch marks
• sun damaged skin
• wrinkles

People may also commonly use it to remove unwanted hair.

IPL is safe for most people but is not suitable for everyone. Pregnant women and people who are on blood thinners, for example, should avoid IPL.

Other factors that make people unsuitable for IPL treatment include:

• currently or recently taking the acne drug Accutane
• having active acne
• suffering from a skin resurfacing disorder
• being susceptible to keloid scarring
• having severe scarring
• having suffered severe sunburn recently

As with any medical procedure, IPL does carry the risk of complications. These include:

• pain
• skin discoloration
• swelling
• infection
• bleeding
• scarring
• crusting

The effectiveness of IPL depends on many things. It works better on white or light brown skin than on black skin, for example. Another factor is the kind of equipment a healthcare professional uses during the procedure.

Everyone responds differently to IPL, and most people will need multiple rounds of the treatment before they start to notice results