Intense pulsed light is used to effectively destroy targets located on the skin with minimum damage to the surrounding tissue. Light is used to lighten, fade, or remove photo-damaged skin in a non-ablative manner, known as photorejuvenation. Visible signs of photodamage include wrinkling, enlarged pores, coarse skin texture, and pigment alterations.

Photofacial/IPL Treatments For Vascular and Pigmented Lesions

IPL treatments are also very successful for treating vascular lesions (ie. Red vascular veins, cherry angiomas, rosacea) on the face, neck, chest, arms and back. Three treatments are recommended at a minimum for the treatment of vascular lesions as they are deeper and tend to require more treatments than brown pigmented lesions.

Photofacials are Intense Pulsed Light (“IPL’s) treatments used for boosting collagen and destroying unwanted pigment in the skin. IPL is a light treatment similar to laser but uses many wavelengths of light that is absorbed by the pigment cells in your skin, which is converted to heat. The heat destroys the unwanted pigment to clear up sun spots and vascular lesions. IPL penetrates down to the second layer of your skin (dermis) without harming the top layer (epidermis) so it causes less damage to the skin and there is little to no downtime post treatment.

IPL Photofacials are effective for treating brown spots caused by sun damage, redness caused by rosacea or broken blood vessels and for overall skin tightening and pore size reduction. Approximately 3 to 6 treatments (spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart) may be necessary for more advanced sun damaged skin. We like to recommend the combination of IPL treatments with chemical peels (at separate appointments) to dramatically improve the color and texture of photo damaged skin.

Downtime/Side Effects
As stated above, there is little to no downtime associated with IPL treatments. Your skin may be red and feel “sunburned” several hours post treatment but usually resumes to normal conditions within 24 hours. Treatments focused on eliminating brown spots will immediately result in your brown spots turning even darker and slough off and fade within 2 to 3 weeks post treatment.

IPL treatments are not recommended for patients with darker skin tones or clients who tend to get thick, raised keloid scars. Sun exposure and tanning should be avoided several weeks prior and post an IPL treatment and sunscreen should be worn daily post treatment.

You don’t have to live with brown or red imperfections! Dramatic improvements are often seen in just one treatment! Consultations are always complimentary so call us to schedule an appointment for a skin evaluation to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for the IPL Photofacial. Pricing dependent on the area to be treated and the number of treatments necessary and will be discussed during your consultation.