IPL Skin Treatments – Weston Beauty Clinic

What is IPL?

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light, but you may have also heard of it referred to as a “photofacial.”

Essentially, this is a treatment in which we use a device with broadband light in order to improve several facial conditions, including rosacea, sun spots, hair removal, and even overall skin texture as well as more that we’ll cover below.

How does IPL work?

IPL works much like lasers do, but with less recovery time and initial discomfort. Intense pulsed light therapy works by delivering light wavelengths deep into the skin in areas of concern in order to alter them.

Unlike lasers, IPL doesn’t actually damage the top layer of skin, since the light can penetrate the dermis (deeper skin tissue) without actually affecting the epidermis (top layer). This means there is far less downtime with IPL than with a laser treatment, though the initial impact from a laser may seem more drastic.

What does IPL treat?

Intense pulsed laser therapy can be used for a number of wide-ranging skin conditions.

Among them are:

Dark spots, pigmentation
Rough skin texture
Uneven skin tone sun damage
Freckles
Fine lines and wrinkles
Rosacea, Vascular lesions like port wine stains, broken facial veins and redness
Acne

What should I expect after my treatment?

A little redness, like sunburn, is normal, occasionally clients experience slight swelling, which usually goes down after 24-48 hours.

The heat breaks skin pigmentation into tiny particles which rise to the skin’s surface, causing the pigmentation to initially darken. After this scabs, crusts and possible flaking will form. This will naturally slough away within 7-10 days. Ultimately, you are free to go about your days as normal with only special attention paid to being gentle to your skin following the procedure.

What results can I expect?

Redness: After one to three treatments, light therapy can get rid of 50%-75% of broken blood vessels for most people. They could completely go away. While treated veins don’t come back, new ones might show up later.

Sun damage: You may see 70% less of the brown spots and redness caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Acne: IPL may help if you have acne or the scarring it causes. You may need about six sessions to notice a difference.

After an IPL procedure, depending on your specific skin concerns treated, you can expect to have a more even skin tone, lighter freckles or dark marks, smoother skin texture, a brighter appearance, and fewer fine lines and reduced wrinkles.

Remember, individual results may vary based on your specific treatment.

What areas can be treated with IPL?

Face
Neck
Chest
Back
Hands
red leg veins

What do treatments feel like?

When the pulse of light is delivered, some patients experience a mild pinching or stinging sensation. No local aesthesia or pain medication is typically required, Gel is recommended to cool the skin before vascular treatments.

How many sessions will I require?

For patients to get the best IPL results, it is generally recommended that patients receive, on average, 3 – 6 treatments scheduled four weeks apart.

Why do most patients need more than one IPL session?

Every IPL treatment builds upon the previous one, allowing the skin to react gradually. At each session, the IPL energy is adjusted to reach different depths of the skin and deliver the right treatment to the targeted area.