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IPL Laser Recovery

time to recover from IPL laser? any info about IPL post-treatment is very appreciated

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aftercare recovery

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16 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

Doctor Answers (16)
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IPL recovery depends on several things.

The recovery from an IPL treatment depends on the patient and on the aggressiveness of the treatment. Some patients react to almost any stimulus with a blush or red response. These people can expect to be red - either mottled or diffused like a sunburn - for a few hours after a treatment. The red response goes away quickly and can be covered with makeup until it resolves. Some patients have a lot of brown discoloration - like freckles - near the surface of the skin. It is very easy for the... more

IPL Recovery Time

In most cases the recovery time is anywhere from a week and up to 3 weeks depending on the patient and what area of the body was treated. The face usually takes 8-14 days to completely recover and the arms, chest or legs take closer to 3 weeks. When you are finished with the treatment you will feel like you have a sunburn. That lasts a short period of time. You may have swelling based on how agressive the settings were during your treatment. You can usually return to work following the... more

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD

7 reviews

Virginia Beach Dermatologist

Recovery can take 2 weeks

I tell my patients to plan on the full recovery taking 2 weeks. In some people it is less time, but better to be prepared. IPL treats brown spots and discoloration-- the more brown you have the longer the recovery time. Initially after treatment the area is itchy, red and swollen for a couple of days. Then the brown pigment will rise to the surface of the skin, and feel dry and crusty, and then peel off. I liken the recovery to a burn. The area may also be very itchy but it is very... more

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IPL recovery time

First, a clarification: IPL is not a Laser but a device that emits strong bursts of visible light. The recovery time after treating Rosacea or Melasma is minimal: a few to 24 hours, unless the Rosacea is severe, in which case it may take up to 2 days or longer, folllowing agressive treatment. The recovery time after treatment of freckles (lentigos) takes several days, up to 10 days, including peeling , dark dots and redness. It is important to avoid even minimal tanning for a... more

IPL recovery can take up to 2 weeks

The downtime and recovery time depend on how aggressive the treatment was. Temporary discoloration will occur for 3-4 days after the procedure and will flake off slowly. Short term side effects are reddening of the skin, temporary bruising and edema. Rare reactions such as scabbing and blistering are possible but not very common. Protecting the skin by applying sunscreen daily is very important after the IPL and will prevent from future sun damage.

IPL recovery

IPL can have little to no down time depending on the intensity of the laser. Face treatments up to two weeks of the treated area turning darker at first then slowly flaking off. Depending on the area of the body, the more aggressive the treatment, the more damage done to the top layers of skin, the more down time. Some of the conditions that can be treated are: Sun damage induced depigmentation and vascular changes Poikiloderma of Civatte Acne Rosacea Broken... more

IPL recovery and post treatment care

Downtime from IPL treatments are minimal. Typically shortly after the procedure the patient will appear flushed, may have a bit of puffiness and brown spots appear darker. It is possible to use sunscreen and cover up with makeup, immediately following the procedure. In addition, a patient may even return to work after a treatment. Over the course of the next few weeks (about 2) the dark spots will raise and there will be a "coffee ground" appearance to... more

IPL Laser Recovery

IPL Laser Recovery can take up to two weeks depending on the aggressiveness of the Laser treatment. I, myself had an IPL resurfacing treatment and my recovery was 9 days.

IPL Recovery Time

As with any procedure recovery time can vary. If you are using an IPL to treat Rosacea the downtime is minimal 24 hrs to a few days depending on the severity of the Rosacea patients can expect to be red and feel a little sunburn. If you are using IPL to treat brown spots on your face the downtime can be 8-14 during this time the dark spots will become darker and flake off.

IPL Recovery

After your IPL treatment, your face may be red or flushed, often like you have had an intense workout. Depending on the person, this redness may be even closer to a mild sunburn. Your skin may become itchy and may peel. Brown spots and pigmented areas will turn darker after the treatment, as well. You can expect these effects from the IPL to diminish over the course of 1-2 days, but the full time to recover can be up to 2 weeks. you should be able to return to... more

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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.