What is IPL?
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a non-invasive skin treatment that emits powerful bursts of light energy to treat sun-damaged skin, wrinkles, and unwanted hair growth without damaging the surface of your skin. IPL is often marketed as a lunchtime treatment.
The idea is that after a short session you should be able to return to work, with no downtime, bruises, or special after-care. However, real experience of those who've tried IPL, including a testimonial by a RealSelf member, suggests that in some cases IPL can cause redness and scabs. Additionally, sun exposure is not a great idea after an IPL treatment.
- Tip: See over 50 unbiased IPL reviews by RealSelf.com community members
Make sure you go to a highly reputable dermatologist or IPL operator. Poorly trained IPL device operators are more likely to make a mistake that can lead to burns or less satisfactory results.
IPL Treatment
The IPL device can generate light energy at various frequencies in order to treat these different skin problems. For this reason, many dermatologists indicate that they prefer IPL over laser therapy. Certain frequencies destroy dark skin regions, while other frequencies will increase the melanin in your skin to re-pigment skin.
IPL can encourage new collagen growth (that causes wrinkles to diminish in appearance), remove age spots or brown spots, and decrease skin redness. Researchers at Brown University found that IPL is also highly effective at removing visible signs of birthmarks and facial lesions.
Most IPL units have a hand-held wand so the dermatologist can deliver short energy pulses to a small area of skin. During your session you'll wear protective goggles as if you were headed to a tanning bed. The area of your skin that's being treated is then covered in a gel, and the wand will be pressed against your skin. The IPL unit emits light energy pulses that get absorbed by your skin without damaging nearby healthy skin tissue. Most treatments last less than 30 minutes.
IPL Options
Common names for IPL treatments include: Intense Pulsed Light, IPL Laser, photofacial, EpiLight, MultiLight, Facial Light, and photoderm.
ReLume Repigmentation is an IPL treatment that works to stimulate the production of melanin to restore lost pigment for stretch marks and post surgical scars and for vitiligo patients. Repigmentation is typically temporary and may be insufficient for patients suffering from a pigment loss condition like vitiligo.
IPL Side Effects
Even though the IPL energy bursts do not break the skin, they can be painful. RealSelf.com readers report a range of pain from IPL treatments, with some reporting extreme pain. Anesthesia is not provided during IPL, but you patients often request a numbing cream to minimize discomfort.
Dermatologists often describe IPL treatment as feeling like a rubber band snapping against your skin.
Some common IPL treatment complications include - but may not be limited to - red, slightly puffy, or occasionally blistered skin, burns or other injuries from the heat, scarring, and skin discolorations. In some patients, reactivation of a previous herpes simplex cold sore may occur. A doctor is the best source of information for getting a complete understanding of the potential risks and complications from IPL.
IPL Hair Removal
If you have unwanted dark hair and you're sick of waxing, tweezing, and shaving, you may want to consider IPL. Light colored hair does not respond to IPL treatments. IPL hair removal works by delivering energy to the dark hair follicle. The energy heats up the follicle and eventually destroys the hair-growing structure. That said, according to the UK Department of Health, IPL does not provide permanent hair removal. Laser hair removal may offer better results.
IPL Hair Removal vs. Laser Hair Removal
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, lasers can work broader areas of skin than IPL. As a result, IPL hair removal is often more time consuming and costly than laser hair removal. This may explain why you'll find dozens of laser hair removal centers in your area with constant advertised discounts and relatively few IPL hair removal providers.
Share your IPL Treatment Experience
If you've undergone IPL for hair removal or any other treatment or skin condition, please share your experience with other RealSelf readers by submitting a review.
unregistered guest
20 Dec 2007
i want some information about IPL timetable for the time for each problem treatment
3 posts
3 Jun 2008
As to IPL treatment I think it is very effective to remove unwanted dark hair permanently, but it has no good for light color hair,such as white hair etc.Besides IPL can treat pigmentation, red blood thread etc.We are manufaturer of beauty devices, such as IPL ,RF device, E lgiht ,laser etc.I think after a period IPL will be replaced by E Light(IPL+RF),you know E light is developed and updated from IPL technolgy,it combines the advantages of IPL and RF(raido frquency).E light has 3 key technologies, that is ,IPL+RF+ Contacting cooling system.Under the combining of the 3 technologies E light is much more effective and safety to remove fine and light color hair, which make up the nonfunction of IPL,besides E Light has all the funtions of IPL.
unregistered guest
29 Apr 2009
I receive IPL on my face, arms, neck and decolitage yesterday at a dermatologists office. I now have 26 burns of approximately one inch square, primarily on my arms and chest. While this was mentioned as a possibility, I was assured it rarely happens. I was also told I could return to work immediately, yet I look like I have leprosy. The office did not do any test spot prior to my treatment. Had they done so, I might have chosen a different method to remove my sun damage spots. Be careful!
3 posts
8 May 2009
According to your information mentioned here,IPL has no problem to remove sun damage spots.IPL treatment has no downtime after you receive treatment,but you should do some protection on treatment skin which is very important... linda
unregistered guest
28 Jul 2009
Please do not ever undergo photofacial treatment I had one with disasterous side effects. Scars and dents all over..I have been devastated
1 post
19 Oct 2009
IPL light guide,IPL filter with quartz,K9,sapphire substrate from www.accuteoptical.com