The IPL™ Photofacial Procedure

Intense pulsed light(IPL™) therapy is one of the most exiting new methods for improvingskin tone and texture. The IPL™ photofacial procedure is quick andeasy, and there is virtually no recovery time involved.

What to Expect During IPL™ Photofacial Treatment

Before the procedure begins, you will be given protective eyewear toprotect you from the bright flashes of light. A cool gel is oftenapplied to the treatment area, both to lubricate the handpiece and tohelp cool the epidermis during the treatment. Your skin care specialistwill apply brief pulses of bright light to the skin through thehandpiece. Depending on the size of the area being treated, theprocedure may take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.

During the IPL™ photofacial procedure, you will feel a warmsensation caused by the handpiece. Some patients liken the sensation toa light “snap” from a rubber band. The number of pulses you receivewill depend on the size of the area being treated. Following theprocedure, your skin care specialist may help you in icing down thetreatment area to help soothe any discomfort from the procedure. Thisis often unnecessary, however, as IPL™ photofacial treatment causesvery little pain.

Recovery Time

The recovery time from an IPL™ skin procedure is often very short,as there is very little damage done to the skin during treatment.Depending on the skin malady you are seeking to remedy as well as yourskin type, the redness that is present following the procedure maypersist for a longer or shorter period of time. The side effects ofIPL™ photofacial treatment dissipate within a few hours for manypatients. For some patients, however, the redness may take a day or twoto fade. Patients treated for severe acne sometimes experience longer recovery times, though they are often amazed by the results when the side effects wear off.

The most important things to remember following IPL™ photofacialtreatment are to avoid the sun for several days and to wear plenty ofsunblock for at least two weeks. Intense pulsed light therapy can giveyou excellent results for a year or more, but you must take care toensure your skin is protected for the first few weeks after treatment.

Follow-Up IPL™ Treatments

Often, multiple IPL™ photofacial treatments are necessary to achievemaximum results. Especially if you are seeking to remedy multipleproblems — for instance, if you are seeking to improve skin texture andreduce redness — multiple treatments affecting different layers of theskin will likely be needed. Your skin care specialist can help you findout how many IPL™ photofacial treatments you may need to achieve yourcosmetic goals.