By Southeastern Medicine Solutions
Your skin reveals a lot about you. If you’ve got spots and visible veins, enlarged pores, or textural irregularities, your skin may be saying that you’re older than your biological age. Concerns like these can decrease your self-confidence even if they don’t make you look much older, so you deserve to know there are solutions to correct them. One of the ways we help our clients ensure that they are revealing their best side all the time is with IPL photo facial treatment.
What is an IPL Photofacial?
Reduces visible signs of premature aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage, brown spots, visible veins, and discoloration.
IPL is a powerful, virtually pain-free Intense Pulsed Light treatment. It reduces visible signs of premature aging, such as fine lines, sun damage, brown spots, visible veins, and discoloration. Most patients receive 4 to 6 treatments depending on the condition of their skin. Treatments are usually performed every 3 to 4 weeks. FDA approved.
Who is the Ideal Candidate for IPL skin rejuvenation?
IPL skin rejuvenation may be ideal for people with light to moderately dark skin. Very dark skin tones may not be well-suited to IPL treatment due to the potential risks of pigment changes. This form of skin rejuvenation is appropriate for people with good skin elasticity and complexion who have not recently tanned outdoors or in a tanning bed. If you are interested in a nonsurgical, noninvasive way to refresh your skin, schedule a consultation with us. An experienced provider can help you explore several options and determine which may be best for your goals.
What are IPL skin rejuvenation advantages?
As discussed above, IPL does not damage the skin surface, unlike Erbium and CO2 Laser resurfacing. Therefore, there is virtually no recovery time. Treatments take approximately 30-45 minutes. No downtime, patients can apply makeup before leaving the office and return to work the same day. There is also minimal pain with IPL therefore no anesthetic or pain medications are needed. Any brown spots will become a little browner and will continue to darken for 7 to 10 days following the treatment. (This darkening can be covered with makeup) These darkening spots will literally rise to the surface of your skin and flake off.
IPL Photofacial Before & After
How does IPL skin rejuvenation work?
The IPL skin treatment delivers high-intensity pulses of broadband light that is different from the narrowband light of lasers. IPL, which stands for intense pulsed light, is non-ablative, meaning it does not damage the surface of the skin. The intense light is delivered to the deeper parts of the skin (dermis) and leaves the superficial aspect of the skin (epidermis) untouched. IPL treatments target brown spots, vascular lesions such as spider veins and vascular birthmarks, pigmented lesions such as melasma and age spots. The thermal effect of IPL also causes the production of new collagen. From this collagen stimulation process, you will feel a significant difference in the tightness and softness of your skin and a remarkable improvement in fine lines and wrinkles.
Conditions Treated with IPL Skin Rejuvenation
The purpose of Intense Pulsed Light treatments is to produce smoother, more even, younger-looking skin. It does this by correcting various skin conditions, such as:
- Photoaging and sun damage
- Freckles and lentigos
- Telangiectasia, visible red blood vessels
- Rosacea
- Skin discoloration or mottled pigment
- Melasma
- IPL can be performed on the face, neck, chest, back, arms, hands, and other areas.
What to expect during an IPL photofacial treatment session?
Many people are concerned that IPL treatment will hurt. A provider can use a topical numbing cream to decrease sensations during the procedure. If a topical cream is used, it stays on the skin for approximately 30 minutes. After the cream is removed, a cool gel is applied to the skin. The IPL applicator is then placed on the skin in a stamping motion, delivering a series of pulses across the treatment area. Both the provider and the client wear protective goggles until treatment is complete.
When will I see results from IPL skin rejuvenation?
Improvements may be seen approximately one week after each IPL treatment. Because IPL works by increasing collagen production in the dermis, the effects of each session are cumulative. About 3 to 5 months after a series of treatments, results should reach their peak. The changes in the skin may vary from one treatment to another. The energy delivered during each session may increase as needed to continue progressing toward younger, more vibrant skin.
How long will my results last?
Collagen is a vital protein that is necessary for the skin to look firm, smooth, and clear. IPL treatments can help repair damaged collagen fibers and stimulate the production of new collagen. How long the results of treatment last depends on how well collagen can be maintained. A healthy diet promotes collagen retention. Good sun care habits such as avoiding tanning and wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen can extend the effects of this treatment. Annual touch-ups can assist with continued improvements.
How long will it take to recover after an IPL photofacial?
The skin may appear slightly red for a few days after IPL treatment. This should not interfere with most day to day activities. However, we would not suggest an IPL photofacial right before an important event. Makeup can be applied right after this procedure, though it should be done gently and removed well before bed.
It is important to plan for the darkening and flaking of age spots and freckles after an IPL photofacial. This can occur over 3 to 10 days. The spots may look and feel rough and may crust. They should not be picked or scratched. Within about 2 weeks the skin’s renewal process should be complete and all side effects should be resolved.
Can the IPL photofacial be combined with other procedures?
Minimally invasive procedures often go well together and can enhance the outcome of a customized treatment plan. We have several options to choose from, including professional facial services, microneedling, and the Venus Lift.
What should I do directly after my IPL photofacial?
Your skin may feel slightly sensitive after IPL treatments. There are several ways to promote fast and comfortable healing, including:
- Avoiding sun exposure and wearing SPF 30 sunscreen every day.
- Keeping cool by avoiding hot tubs, hot baths and showers, and saunas for several days.
- Refraining from wearing makeup for 12 hours after treatment.
- Using a gentle cleanser and moisturizer each day.
- Avoiding picking or scratching the skin as pigmented spots darken and peel off.
- Avoiding potential irritants such as alpha-hydroxy acid, Retina-A, and retinoic acid.
- Waiting at least one week before exfoliating, either mechanical or chemical.
Is laser skin rejuvenation safe?
IPL treatments have been safely performed around the world for several years. There are risks involved due to the depositing of heat in the dermis. These include swelling, blisters, and scarring. For the safest, more efficient procedure, you should seek IPL treatment only from a licensed, trained professional.
Is the IPL photofacial better than other forms of skin rejuvenation?
Various cosmetic treatments offer unique advantages. The IPL Photofacial is beneficial because it can access deeper layers of tissue with gentle energy, so it keeps redness and irritation to a minimum. IPL light therapy is less intense than laser light therapy, which allows clients to get back to normal activities more quickly. Most people can return to work one to two days after IPL, versus a week or more after more intense laser skin resurfacing. It isn’t that IPL Photofacial treatment is better than other forms of skin rejuvenation; it’s that it may be better for you.
What are IPL skin rejuvenation disadvantages?
Given that there is little damage to the skin surface, several treatments may be required to see the desired effect. Typically, 3-6 treatments, spaced 3 weeks apart, are needed. Side effects can include transient redness which is relieved with a cold compress and subsides quickly. Avoidance of sun exposure is needed.
Schedule Your Consultation
We can help you bring out the best in your skin. To schedule a visit with us, call 704.782.7546.
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