IPL Q&A
54%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
302 Reviews
IPLbefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average IPL Cost: $550

Learn about IPL

1,146 people and 239 doctors are talking about IPL

Get Free Email Updates

Chances of Side Effects from Palomar IPL Machine?

asked 2 years ago by Collins8492 in Georgia
Latest answer by Harold J. Kaplan, MD
Question viewed 2,740 times
Tags: male, redness, blemishes, facial hair, ingrown hair, recovery, scar, side effects, skin

After being recommended IPL by my dermatologist for my sparse, thin beard because of chronic ingrown hairs and blemishes, I'm thinking of doing it. However, I am afraid of the scarring and other horror stories I've heard.

My dermatologist uses a Palomar brand IPL machine. Is this safe? And will I break out in blemishes, severe redness, or any other irregularities? I do not want to have to go into hibernation during my treatment. What will it be like?

1 answer to Chances of Side Effects from Palomar IPL Machine?

+1

IPL for Hair Removal

Hi Collins, The determination for whether or not the IPL will be a safe treatment for you depends on your skin type. Generally IPL is fairly safe for lighter skin types (up to Asian or Hispanic) and not very safe for dark skin types like East Indian and African American. While the type of machine and settings do matter, IPL is generally safer for lighter skin types. The bigger question we would have is which machines are going to be most effective at fixing the problem. IPL is not the... more
Harold J. Kaplan, MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Ask a question