IPL Intense Pulse Light Therapy

IPL stands for intense pulsed light which is a series of wavelength lights to help rejuvenate the skin and even out skin complexion. It’s going to target reds and browns in the skin, and focus on giving you a more radiant glow. IPL is great for hyperpigmentation, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, age spots, sun spots, all forms of sun damage, telangiectasia which are dilated, diffused blood vessels at the surface of the skin. IPL can also manage redness to the skin, such as rosacea. While rosacea isn’t curable as it’s an autoimmune disease, with good medical grade skincare and IPL, these can prevent flare ups. IPL is best when used as a combination therapy with chemical peels. A series of 3-6 IPL sessions may be recommended by your Nurse Injector or Esthetician upon assessment. While you will see results after just one session, each treatment after we are able to perform your treatment at a stronger strength to deliver more advanced results. 

7 days prior to IPL, you must ensure you’ve discontinued all forms of Vitamin A such as retinoids and retinols, acids, harsh exfoliators, as well as ensuring you have not received any chemical peels, enzymes, or microneedling in the last 2 weeks. You must not have an active sunburn at the time of your appointment and must not have had any sun exposure or bed tanning in the last 2 weeks at the time of your appointment. This includes spray tans and self tanner. Please arrive with clean skin.

Aftercare for IPL is very simple— for 2 weeks post procedure, keep your skin hydrated, and stay out of the direct sun. You must have sunscreen applied if you are outdoors. We carry all aftercare products here in the spa an we even have a recovery kit that comes with everything you need post procedure. A gentle cleanser, thick moisturizer, and a firming mask to wear at nighttime to promote hydration in the skin. You can sometimes experience some flaking post IPL. Browns in the skin can become darker and coffee-ground like, and reds can become redder for just a few days until they begin to fade.  It’s important to not pick at any peeling and continuously apply hydration to the skin.  Most clients experience very little to no downtime. 

Someone who is a fitzpatrick 4+ cannot receive IPL. Unfortunately, lasers see melanin in the skin and this is a risk of damaging the skin when treating a patient who has a darker complexion. If you’re unsure if you can be treated safely, please schedule a consultation and we are happy to assess your skin.