Guide to IPL Treatment

IPL is an acronym for Intense Pulsed Light. Using specific light filters, the energy of the intense pulsed light can be focused on a specific target within the skin.

IPL is a technology similar to laser. Although ipl machine is not exactly a laser, it can be used in a similar manner to lasers for safe and effective treatment of unwanted hair, skin pigmentation, and visible and broken capillaries and veins in the skin.

Instead of a single wavelength of light as with a laser, ipl laser treatment uses a bright light in front of which filters are placed which filter out most wavelengths except those taken up by pigment and blood vessels, depending on the filter used. The light energy penetrates just below the skin's surface, damaging either the melanin (skin pigment) or blood vessels. The body's natural skin repair mechanisms then remove the damaged tissue and produce a smoother skin appearance. 

The range of light is typically between 500-1500 nm, depending on the machine and filter used. Lasers examples include the CO2 laser for resurfacing, which uses a wavelength of 10,600 nm, the Pulse Dye laser uses a wavelength of 585 nm for vascular lesions. A second dissimilarity to a laser is that best ipl machine light is not collumated, it is scattered. The IPL is a multitasker, addressing a number of skin issues relatively well. It addresses brown spots (dyschromias), broken blood vessels (telangiectasias), tightens skin slightly (photo-facial effect), and can achieve hair reduction for darkly pigmented hair follicles.

IPL treatments can rejuvenate aging skin, help patients with rosacea, and can also treat certain types of skin cancers. The popular Fotofacial (Photofacial) treatment is performed using an IPL device.

Not all skin types are appropriate candidates for ipl equipment so prior to your treatment it is best to be evaluated in the office of a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist.

IPL involves minimal downtime and can be quite effective in reducing redness and pigmentation over a series of 3-5 treatments. Ethnic skin with pre-existing pigmentation problem should exhaust other modalities such as bleaching cream and/or microdermabrasion prior to IPL for there may be a risk of worsening pigmentation.

Several treatments may be needed, depending upon the hair color, location, and growth cycle. Patients are able to resume normal activities immediately after treatment and are not likely to experience side effects other than mild redness or swelling at the treatment site.