Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) – Is It the Right Treatment for You?

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The winter months are ideal to treat your skin pigmentation, sun damage and thread veins as well as minor acne scarring. SkinSpaMED uses the advanced technology of Intense Pulsed Light (abbreviated IPL). This treatment is a type of light treatment that is known as “non-ablative” meaning that this treatment does NOT remove the superficial layers of skin. Some lasers are “ablative” meaning that they remove the outer layers of skin or also known as resurfacing. Another benefit for IPL is the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles along with skin tightening through the development of collagen. The heat from the light stimulates collagen production producing results that are not immediate, but the results of a series of repeated treatments.

IPL light works by channeling an intense, broad-spectrum light pulse resulting in heat toward color targets in different layers of the skin. And because it can reach varying depths of skin, it can treat a variety of skin conditions including:

  • sun spots (brown spots due to UV damage)

  • brown spots/ discolorations

  • acne scars

  • melasma

  • birthmarks

  • rosacea

  • spider veins

  • varicose veins

  • bruises

  • and others

Fitzpatrick Scale.png

Good candidates for IPL are those with Lighter skin tones (Fitzpatrick Skin Types 1-3). The IPL light targets a colored spot in skin like a brown spot. The darker the spot, the more effective the treatment. Ideally, IPL is used when there is more contrast between the base skin and the target color. On the other hand, darker skin tones (Fitzpatrick Skin Types 4-6) are not always good candidates for IPL (or laser).

The issue with Fitzpatrick 4-6 is that the skin surrounding the problem area will absorb some of the light due to the fact that there is more pigment in skin to attract the light. This surrounding skin can be injured and may even leave the skin darker or lighter than it was before. Kerry Benjamin is an L.A.-based esthetician and founder of StackedSkincare spa in Santa Monica, CA and has the following to say:

 “You need to treat dark skin with caution, or you can cause serious permanent damage,” Benjamin says. “Microdermabrasion, medium-depth chemical peels, dermaplaning, and microneedling are all super safe and effective at treating acne, pigment issues, and scarring.” It may take more than six months of treatments, but when you’re dealing with the delicate skin on your face, “slow and steady wins the race” is a pretty good philosophy to adopt.

Your SkinSpaMED specialist can help you determine your Fitzpatrick Skin Type to assess whether IPL is right for you. It is very important to not tan before the treatment and also to protect the vulnerable skin following the treatments, so winter is the ideal time.