IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. It basically lets you know that this is ”light based treatments” and not a true laser. That is scattered light which is generated from Xenon flash lamps and is not actually a laser. Lasers have light of a single frequency (color), IPL has many frequencies mixed together. Laser light remains collimated (narrow-focus).
IPL spreads out like "regular" light. Lasers use one specific type of light and IPL devices use many. For this reason, IPL machines are marketed to be able to do a bit of everything, sun spots, facial redness and collage stimulation. The single wavelength of light used by lasers means they are more specific to the condition being treated.
The IPL is great for redness and brown spots, does very little for wrinkles, but can be used to tighten the skin if has the power to go into the infrared spectrum and use it for everything from leg veins treatment to acne scars and blond hair removal(no laser can do this) & telangiectasias . ACNE can be corrected too. Specifically, pigmented lesions such as freckles, sunspots, and age spots are treated .One of the signs of aging is irregular brown and sometimes red discoloration of the skin. These changes (called dyschromias) are due to sun damage, and are the usual reason women begin to wear foundation type makeup.
IPL 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 energy of the intense pulsed light can be focused on a specific target within the skin. The range of light is typically between 500-1500 nm . light is concentrated in certain wavelengths.The body's natural skin repair mechanisms then remove the damaged tissue and produce a smoother skin appearance. It will usually take 3-5 treatments to see a significant result and treatments can be spaced out every 3-4 weeks.
The light energy in IPL is absorbed by the colors that we don't like, causing the generation of heat that damages or destroys the structure that holds the color - the sun spot or dilated blood vessel. concentrating light which is preferentially absorbed by dark and red spots and avoiding damaging the top layers of the skin. The body sees the structure as damaged and takes it away. This leaves the skin tone more even and homogeneous. IPL brightens the skin and gives it a youthful glow. This is a remarkably consistent result of IPL . Another, but more subtle goal of IPL, is to add small amounts of collagen back into the skin near its surface. This will not reduce wrinkles, but it does have an effect on the texture of the skin.
So, a patient can expect 3 things from IPL:
1. It evens out skin color.
2. It brightens the skin and give it a youthful glow.
3. It adds back small amounts of collagen near the surface of the skin to give a slight improvement in texture.
IPL 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.
The advantage to IPL systems is that downtime is usually very minimal. Immediately following the procedure the skin may look much worse. Patients may experience slight darkening of pigment before they lighten. You will look like you suffered from a sunburn . The procedure itself is usually described as feeling like a rubber band being popped on the skin. 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. The good news is usually 8-14 days later the spots will disappear and your skin tone should have a much clearer vibrant apperance. Most people can return to work the same day. You may feel the need to wear a bit of makeup on the skin to cover the areas that appear to be dark
IPL treatments can rejuvenate aging skin, help patients with rosacea, and can also treat certain types of skin cancers. Number of treatments required to achieve desired results and length of results varies from individual to individual and can be dramatically altered by sun exposure. Dark spots that have been diminished with IPL can return to their original appearance or darker if not protected from the sun.
IPL-RF is Intense Pulse Light with Radio Frequency. I have found that this gives a far superior result than the stand alone IPL treatments.
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