Everything You Should Know About the IPL Photofacial

Everything You Should Know About the IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Photofacial

By: the For Your Best Self team

Skin concerns like sun damage, pigmentation, and aging signs can be some of the toughest conditions to improve. With so many aesthetic treatment options available to patients, it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) remains an effective technology to address these concerns, so here’s what to know about it and how our team can help you achieve your skin goals.

What is IPL Therapy?

IPL uses incredibly short bursts of light energy to generate heat towards a specific target in the skin cells and structures, also causing underlying collagen to regenerate. Although technically not a laser technology, IPL is a therapy commonly used to treat sun damage, age spots, (brown spots), and vascular/red areas of the skin. It’s sometimes called the IPL Photofacial or photorejuvenation.

What Does IPL Treat?

IPL therapy has a variety of uses and can achieve excellent results for the following concerns:

• Irregular pigmentation on the face, neck, chest, or hands
  • Freckles/Brown spots
  • Spider veins
  • Rosacea/Broken blood vessels

What Happens During IPL Treatment?

IPL treatments can be performed comfortably in our Melbourne office. First, your skin will be cleansed and prepared with specially compounded topical numbing cream after consent and photos are taken by our expert medical team. During treatment, you’ll be given protective eye shields while the specialized handpiece is applied to your treatment areas. This handpiece generates very fast bursts of light and you’ll generally feel some tolerable warmth. Once your treatment area has been fully addressed, your skin will be protected with post-procedure sunscreen and made ready for the rest of your day. You’ll also receive detailed instructions on caring for your skin and scheduled for your next appointment.

What Can I Expect After IPL Treatment?

After your IPL session, you can expect some redness, mild swelling, and sensitivity for a few days afterward, similar to a light sunburn. It’s important to avoid itching, picking, exfoliating, plucking, or otherwise disturbing your skin while it heals. You’ll be given instructions on the proper skincare products to use and what to additionally avoid. It’s extremely important to use SPF30+ daily after your treatment since your skin will be photosensitive. Within a week, your skin will shed abnormal pigment (dark spots) and begin to look normal again with noticeable improvement in your skin concerns. Most patients benefit from a package of treatments, we suggest starting with a minimum of three, sometimes more for severe conditions. After consultation, our team will make sure you have a customized treatment plan for your best skin.

Schedule a Consultation

IPL Photofacial is a time-tested way to reduce your toughest complexion concerns. To meet with our team and learn more about IPL therapy, we invite you to contact us at Dermatology + Plastic Surgery by calling 321.241.1160 or email inf@foryourbestself.com.