Lights, Camera, Lasers!What you need to know about IPL Treatments

Everyone is different, and everyone has a different skincare routine. However, most of us know that taking care of our skin should be prioritized. Limiting sun exposure, wearing sunscreen, good skincare products, and professional skin care treatments can help maintain a youthful, vibrant look while keeping skin healthy.

Sometimes though, our preventative actions aren’t enough. Acne, large pores, rosacea, and age spots are out of our control. But what if you could do something about it? The IPL treatment is a great way to combat these stubborn skin ailments while promoting healthy skin rejuvenation. We’ve done all the research for you with our expert aesthetician, Daniella.

What is IPL Treatment?

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy is a solution to improve the color and texture of your skin without surgery. In addition, IPL will address concerns with anti-aging, brown spots, redness, and rosacea – or any place where there is visible damage caused by sun exposure.

Daniella says: Brown spots are the body’s defensive mechanism against the sun’s harmful rays. You can find them on your face or your hands – some of them might not be visible since sun damage can be everywhere. However, the deepest damage is where the brown spots are visible, along with possible damage within the skin.

How IPL Treatment Works

IPL uses light energy to target a specific color in your skin. When the skin is heated, your body gets rid of the unwanted cells. Unlike other lasers, an IPL device sends out more than one wavelength of pulsating light.

Daniella says: IPL treatments bypass the skin’s surface for minimal recovery time. Instead, the unwanted cells are targeted deep within your skin. As a result, each pulse will feel like a quick, warm rubber band snaps. The spots will turn darker in the next week as the bad skin cells die. After that, they’ll slough off to reveal fresh, youthful skin. In the meantime, you can go about your daily activities.

Who Should Get IPL Treatment?

IPL treatments can help improve birthmarks, age spots, redness, rosacea, blood vessels, and more! Here are some helpful tips.

For brown spots

After the IPL treatment, your skin will continue to produce melanin as a defense since the cells are already damaged. Prevention is key. Instead of waiting for those spots to come back, you need to maintain the IPL treatments.

Be careful: Brown spots can also be melasma or hormonal damage, which lasers can make worse. Freckles aren’t necessarily sun damage and shouldn’t be lasered if you don’t want them to disappear. Freckles that are not sun damage are likely to come back. If this is the case, chemical peels and topical medication would be the solution for you. Our expert team can help determine which treatment is best.

For redness/rosacea

Rosacea is a common skin disease and often begins with the tendency to blush or flush more easily than other people. Most people experience redness, flushing, and visible blood vessels. Unfortunately, there is no known cause or cure for rosacea. However, regular IPL treatments can make redness less blotchy and look more natural. The laser collapses the visible blood vessels and is later absorbed by the skin. For redness, more than three treatments are ideal.

Sometimes redness can be caused by your skincare routine. Check with your dermatologist to determine if you have rosacea or if it’s something else before pursuing IPL treatments.

Lasers can be intense; that’s why it’s essential to schedule a consultation with Daniella before starting the IPL treatments. In addition, some factors can prohibit you from getting IPL.

Daniella breaks it down:

“Before we start your IPL treatments, there are some things to consider. First, IPL only works on lighter skin tones. Darker skin tones and those blessed with more melanin should use hydroquinone, which is a topical cream that can help lighten dark patches without compromising your skin tone.”

“You should refrain from using self-tanner before your treatments as well. The laser doesn’t know what it shouldn’t target, it just targets the dark spots. Also, if you have retinol in your routine, you should stop a few days before your treatment since it can make your skin more sensitive.”

Overall, IPL treatments are a great way to get rid of sun damage, stubborn age spots, and excessive redness. Not only can IPL treat, but it also prevents. Regular sessions are vital in keeping your skin healthy, in addition to a tremendous preventative skincare routine. “Sunscreen is important for the daily routine,” says Daniella. “UVA rays are present during all seasons, you can’t see them, and they penetrate 30-40 times deeper than UVB (sun rays).” By taking care of your skin early, you can avoid these treatments until your mid-40s. If you’re already seeing the signs of sun damage, our IPL treatments can help you.