IPL: Q&A

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Many People Are Claiming IPL Causes Damage to Skin. What's the Real Truth?

I stumbled accross a support website for those who claim their skin has been damaged by the IPL procedure. Some say it has aged their skin considerably, left tiny indentations, or even lines where there weren't any previously. Many claim fat loss and sagging skin occurs 6 months to a year post-procedure. This is extremely worrisome considering I have already had 2 IPLs and am beginning to think this wasn't such a good idea. Can a doctor with some knowledge step up and address this?

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skin damage
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1 Doctor Answer | Asked by KikiLisa in Canada
+2

IPL Safety

Intense Pulse Light (IPL) is a very safe technology as long as it is used by a trained Doctor and is used responsibly. In patients with lighter skin tones, IPL is incredibly safe.  The one exception is a patient who has a fresh sunburn.  IPL treatment must be much more conservative in patients with darker skin types due to the risk of burn and/or hyperpigmentation.  IPL includes a range of wavelengths, typically addressing the colors red and brown; the more intense the... more

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Comments (8)

Tiki do you not have an area to send you a private message? I know some of your comments have been removed. If not you could send me a private message to Imsorrynow2. Thanks
  • Reply
Doctor have you yourself had ipl on your face? There are hundreds if not thousands of people with fat loss, indents and squares, enlarged pores, crinkly like skin and damage that continues well after the procedure has been performed. There are pictures documenting such cases and I'm completely shocked that you've never heard of any injuries listed above. It's very real, very frightening and for some a life lost.
  • Reply
Doctors are profitting from this and all those that "claim" it to be safe have never USED it on their own face, that should speak volumes. They meaning the doctors have stake in selling this procedure. I've lost all respect for any MD that comes here stating it's safe, when I've had SEVERE damage along with many others. It's insulting at best to see the MD answers suggesting as long as it's in the right hands. Not true. Apparenty the owners of this site mod very carefully and don't want you to scare the medical community off, so it's has come to my attention that there is no free speech on this site, I am sad to report. The owners of this site are not interested in real stories as long as they can get a doctor to post, than their goal is met. If you have read stories about damage you can bet it is true. Remember there are no actual findings ie factual research stating this is safe, and I have no trust with any MD suggesting otherwise. Now, let's see how long they leave my comment up.
  • Reply

Tiki, your previous comments were removed, as I explained in the private message that I sent to you, because they violated our Community guidelines. As I said in the message, "You are always welcome to share your thoughts and experience on RealSelf, but we do need to ask that it is done in a respectful way to both other community members and to the doctors who volunteer on RealSelf." 

It also might be of interest to note that IPL currently has a 56% Worth it Rating, based on 330 reviews.

130 community members rated it Not Worth It

167 community members rated it Worth It

33 are still in the "Undecided" phase.

 

 

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With anything on the internet you never know if those percentages are of actual truth or not. It's too bad that posting the truth on here from having ipl and the real damage isn't tolerated, rather this site would opt for what MDs have to say, because in the end, it's what makes them money.
  • Reply
You are free to remove my comments, I've left only my thoughts and FACTS and again it's disconcerting that an MD would suggest that caucasians are safe using ipl. I fit the criteria and to this day the damage is continuing.
  • Reply

As stated before, all comments are welcome as long as they adhere to our community guidelines which are pretty basic (click here to read them). It is important to us that RealSelf be a place were people feel comfortable sharing their experience (both pros and cons) without fear of personal attack, so being disrespectful to other community members will not be tolerated and comments that fall into that category will be removed. If that seems unreasonable to someone, RealSelf probably just isn't a good fit for them.

 

  • Reply
Please look at both sides of story. Ask yourself can I get similar results any other way? Today on The Doctors Show the had a reporter Melanie Woodrow who shared the story of two woman who had been burned by skin lasers. I was burned at a doctor's office they had been to a medspa. I believe there are many variables and the damage that can happen is permanant. The one thing they did stress these machines give off intense heat that can burn. So weigh the pros and cons and know the dangers as with any procedure there are no guarantees what type of result you will get.
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These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.

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