What Is Intense Pulsed Light (Ipl)?

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), also known as photo-facial, fotofacials, and photo rejuvenation is a state of the art system and the latest technique in photofacial therapy. This treatment is perfect for those whose skin reflects early signs of aging and who cannot afford the recovery time associated with other procedures. The IPL system delivers high intensity, smooth and powerful pulses of light (not lasers) that enhance your results of skin rejuvenation. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is an extremely successful method of treating skin blemishes. These include sun damaged skin (age spots or sun spots), facial blood vessels (broken capillaries) that are close to the surface of the skin, uneven pigmentation, dull skin, fine lines, wrinkling and facial redness due to rosacea,. It is also a wonderful treatment for the flushing redness that people often experience after eating spicy food, heat, drinking alcohol or after a stressful or emotional event. IPL treatments leave a rejuvenated, soft, smooth and even-toned appearance without a lengthy healing time. IPL does not have the side effects of past laser treatment such as scarring, downtime, pain or oozing. IPL is one of the most popular treatments because of the improvements it provides. Approximately 3-6 treatments are needed to achieve the desired results. Most patients are extremely happy with the cosmetic results.

How does it work?

Each treatment takes about 20 minutes. A hand-held device emits small intense bursts of light to the skin. The targeted areas such as blood vessels, brown discoloration, port wine stains, hyperpigmentation, age spots/sunspots, freckles, flat pigmented birthmarks or redness absorb the light wave, heat up and then are broken down. The penetration depth and degree of heat is highly controlled to minimize complications. The procedure is continued until all of the abnormal skin has received the small pulses of light.
An additional bonus is that the treatment causes inflammation of tiny blood vessels in the skin which stimulate the production of new collagen.
It is possible to shrink sebaceous glands (oil glands), and pore size, with repeated treatments. The number of treatments necessary to achieve this result varies from patient to patient. Other areas that effectively can be treated are: mild acne scars, acne, facial and leg veins, selectively targeting hair follicles and angioma.

How is the IPL Photo Rejuvenation treatment different from CO2 or Erbium Laser Resurfacing?

IPL photo rejuvenation is a noninvasive, safe method to improve the look and feel of the skin without undergoing the pain and downtime associated with deep laser resurfacing. Deep laser resurfacing removes the entire epidermis leaving the skin vulnerable to infection and requires 3-4 weeks of patient downtime and an even longer time to complete healing.

Does IPL Hurt?
There is a slight discomfort associated with the treatment. Each pulse of the IPL feels like an elastic band snapping against the skin. Numbing creams can be used prior to treatment, but are generally not required.
When will I notice improvement?
You will notice results after one or two treatments, depending on the nature of the problem. Some skin problems will require several treatments before you see any difference.
What areas of the body can be treated?
Any area can be treated. These may include the face, neck, chest, back, hands, arms, legs and feet.

IPL is an excellent choice for women and men of all ages considering treatment for various skin problems including:

•  Brown or age/sun spots
•  Fine lines and wrinkles
•  Hyperpigmentation
•  Pregnancy mask
•  Acne
•  Rosacea
•  Broken capillaries
•  Facial spider veins
•  Leg veins



You should NOT have IPL Photofacial treatments if you have:
•  Lupus
•  Tendency to form keloids (thick raised scars)
•  A tendency to develop increased skin pigmentation when healing
•  A dark skin colour (South Asian, African)
•  A dark tan
•  Porphyia ( a blood disorder that makes you sensitive to light)
•  Extreme sensitivity or allergy to light

What are the advantages of IPL treatments?

•  The treatment is gentle
•  There is no interruption of routine activities
•  There is often no recovery time required or time needed to be taken off work
•  There are no stitches, cuts or bleeding to worry about
•  Improvement is subtle. In this way, your friends, family and spouse don't have to know that you're having treatments, unless you want them to

What are the risks?

•  Some mild swelling or bruising may occur. Swelling is more common in patients with very red or pink toned skin that are having treatments to reduce redness.
•  Bruising may occur if many large facial blood vessels are being treated.
•  Although rare, blistering or slight bleeding is possible as is hypo- or hyper-pigmentation (lightened or darkened areas of skin). If pigmentation problems occur, it may be anywhere from 3 to 12 months before normal skin tone returns. This is especially so with hypo-pigmentation (lack of colour). Some patients may experience permanent skin pigmentation changes.
•  Scarring has never been reported after an IPL treatment.
•  It is impossible to get permanent results. Even though the skin may be "rejuvenated" for long periods, the aging process continues. The skin will usually improve with further treatment.
•  It might be impossible to remove a lesion forever or get permanent results. Even though a lesion may be diminished or "disappear" for long periods of 3-6 months, it might return in the future. The fact that the lesion responded to treatment but recurred usually means that it will improve with further treatment

How many treatments should you have?

A series of 3-6 treatments is usually recommended for most skin types and body areas. Treatments are usually done about 3-4 weeks apart. We will determine the number of treatments that your specific skin type and condition will require at the time of your consultation or treatment.

How should I prepare my skin prior to an IPL treatment?

•  Absolutely NO TAN coming into your treatment. Treating skin with a tan can produce white "striping" which can take several months to fade. Your skin MUST NOT BE TANNED.
•  Stop the use of all Retin-A, Reversa, Glycolic acid products and toners a week before your treatment.
•  If possible, come to your appointment without make-up.
•  We recommend that even though most people do not have a significant down time after IPL, that you not plan any major events for 2 to 3 days after your fist IPL treatment. This will give you a chance to see how your skin reacts and how easily you can incorporate IPL treatments into your schedule.

What is the procedure for IPL-Intense Pulsed Light-Photofacial therapy?

1. At your first visit, we will provide a free consultation. During the consultation, we will discuss the benefits of IPL therapy, explain the procedure to you and answer any questions that you may have. Furthermore, we will explain how the procedure works and how many treatments you will need, and provide you with a price quote. We will also ask you a series of questions to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure and to determine your skin type and sensitivity.
2. If you decide to go ahead with a treatment, photographs will be taken of the treatment area. These photographs are strictly for your chart and will not be released or used without your permission. Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us.
3. You will be asked to wash your face and to remove any makeup. It is not necessary to remove mascara, lip stick or lip liner.
4. Your skin will be cleansed and any remaining make-up will be removed.
5. You may purchase an anesthetic topical cream to be applied prior to the light exposure. This is usually not necessary.
6. Your eyes are covered with special goggles during the treatment.
7. A spot or test patch will be done to make sure there are no negative reactions.
8. During the treatment you may feel stinging, tingling, prickling, or burning of the lesions, but this should go away after the treatment.
9. You will be provided with a after-care instructions and the technician will recommend specific products to take care of your skin after the treatment.

What should you expect after your treatment?

•  There will be redness, and occasionally, mild blistering or bruising of the treated areas lasting from several hours to 3-14 days. The treated area might "crust", "flake", or look like a "cat scratch." This will depend on the sensitivity of your skin and the severity of the problem being treated. Most people are completely healed within 7 days. .
•  Your skin will be more sensitive for a few days up to a couple weeks after your treatment.
•  You can return to your normal activities.

Precautions for the first seven days after your IPL treatment:

•  Avoid contact between hot water and the treated area.
•  Keep the area moist and protected with sunscreen.
•  You should stay out of the sun, ultraviolet light and tanning beds, especially for the next 48 hours to minimize the risk of getting increased pigmentation in the skin. If sun is unavoidable, sunscreen for at least 4 weeks following treatment
•  Avoid any aggressive skin care products such as scrubs, exfoliants, alpha or beta hydroxy acid products.
•  Avoid excessive heat exposure such as saunas, steam rooms, hot showers or baths, and strenuous exercising for 24 hours. This prevents the risk of blistering.
•  Keep clothing from rubbing the treated area and avoid other irritation to the area.
•  Do not get hairspray on the treated area.
•  Notify the office should you have any prolonged redness, excessive puffiness, or other unusual side effects.

•  Enlarged pores
•  Enlarged oil glands (sebaceous hyperplasia)
•  Mild acne scars
•  Unwanted hair
•  Abnormal skin pigmentation
•  Dull skin
•  Port wine stains
•  Angioma
  Hair reduction              Photo-rejuvenation              Pigmention
Before
After
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