Did my IPL pigmentation treatment actually work?

I had many IPL treatments over a couple of years on pigmentation on my upper cheeks. The spots were small to begin with but always came back. the last 2 treatments did nothing and the patches grew. Going back over old photos it looks as though the original patches have completely dissapeared but the newer stuff is still there. Could the IPL have actually worked even though initially it kept reappearing and kept growing in size? Should I continue with treatment to get rid of the newer pigment?