What is Skin Rejuvenation?
IPL is a non invasive medical technology that uses light therapy to eliminate age spots, sun spots, freckles, birthmarks and other unsightly discolouration of the skin, leg veins, spider veins, port wine stains and other benign vascular lesions. It is also a very effective treatment modality for hair removal.
How does Skin Rejuvenation work?
IPL generates intense pulsed light which safely reduces melanin or haemosiderin, the dark pigment in the skin and blood so that pigmented lesions and vessels fade and slowly disappear. Treatment is applied by placing a hand-held treatment unit on your skin.
Which lesions can be treated?
IPL treats the full range of benign pigmented lesions including freckles, age spots (lentigos), sun spots (solar lentigos), cafe au lait macules (birthmarks), seborrheic keratoses, hyperpigmentation and most vascular lesions.
Who are candidates for treatments?
Most people, including children, may be treated with IPL; however your doctor should determine if your condition is suitable for IPL treatments. This may require a consultation visit.
What is treatment like?
Treatment involves a pulse of intense light, similar to the flash of a camera. You may feel a slight pinch or snap of a rubber band. No local anesthesia or pain medication is required.
Are there any side effects?
You may experience some short-term effects. This may include slight reddening of the skin or local swelling which goes away within a few days. In rare instances there may be some blistering.
How many treatments are required?
Freckles, age spots, and sun spots often clear after one treatment. Other blemishes may take one to three treatments. Each session generally lasts 15-20 minutes.
Are there restrictions on my activity after having the treatment?
You can return to work the same day and resume all regular activities. You should limit exposure of the sun, which is always a good idea. And if outdoor activity is inevitable then a strong sunscreen should be applied.
What should be expected following the completion of IPL treatment of pigmented spots?
Typically, pigmented spots are removed within a few treatment sessions. During this treatment series, at first the pigmented spot may darken.
For how long after completion of IPL treatment can improvement in fine lines and wrinkles be expected?
Immediately following the treatment the skin might appear slightly puffy. Since the collagen remodelling process takes a few weeks an improvement in fine lines and wrinkles can be expected to continue even a few months following the completion of treatment.
Is it normal for the skin to stay red following a treatment session?
It is possible that the skin stays somewhat red for a few hours up to a few days post treatment, as long as there is no blistering or burns. Redness is even a good sign for IPL efficacy.
Is it possible to conduct two different types of skin rejuvenation treatments during the same treatment session, e.g. fine lines and spider veins.?
Yes, it is possible to conduct two types of skin rejuvenation treatments at the same time. When treating fine lines and wrinkles the entire face should be treated at the appropriate energy level. Then, immediately moving on to the area of spider veins/age spots, the energy level should be adjusted (usually increased) accordingly.
Is it possible to apply cosmetics to the skin after an IPL skin rejuvenation treatment?
A: Typically, it is possible to apply cosmetics to the skin after a short cool-down period following treatment.
Is it possible to combine skin rejuvenation treatment with steroids?
A: This combination is a contraindication; Skin photo rejuvenation induces a wound healing process to improve the production of collagen. Steroids, however, decrease the synthesis of collagen, and thus interfere with treatment.
