IPL: Stories

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IPL Causes WAY MORE Side Effects Than the Literature Provides

blumenauer
posted 4 years ago
updated 4 years ago

Not Worth It
Cost: $260
Canada

The treatment: painful, hot, but tolerable...

29 Mar 2009

The treatment: painful, hot, but tolerable.
Immediately after: Red, hot, skin, no swelling.
The technician says: You skin looks great! You will be so happy. Go, enjoy your weekend!

One hour later: Red skin begins to swell in the exact pattern of the hand tool. This includes swollen stripes over the entire face!
Boyfriend says: What the hell did you do?

The next day: Swelling still present - lines from the handtool all over ma face!!!
I say: What the hell did I do to ma face!

The third day - better, but still covered in mild lines on the right cheek and under the left eye. Holy!

I am hoping that by tomorrow I will be able to return to work without anyone noticing that i look like i slept with ma face on a quilt!

In the end, this better be worth it. I paid good cash AND an enitire weekend for it

BEWARE!!! IS is worth it? Really?

Great review?

Comments (11)

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threecrown 22 Jun 2009

I had it done on my face in may and loved the results so much i had my chest done and will be getting my upper back done this week. It's to much to have done in one sitting. It does sting but the pain goes away within a hour or so. I'm irish fair skin female, I understand the best results are on fair skin. My dermo was agressive with the treatment, but I prefer so I dont have to get more than 1 treatment. thats all you need if its done right. Go to a doctor not a spa, very important!!!! A dermatologist that specializes in cosmetic surg,they will have assortment of laser machines.

blumenauer 10 Jun 2009

sag? more details pls . . .

Miss Echo (unregistered guest) 9 Jun 2009

It totally made the skin on my face sag like crazy! I would NEVER do it again!

Lyra 4 Oct 2009

Hello, did you have a full face treatment? when after the treatment started your skin to sag? Did you only have one session or multiple sessions?

amylou77 17 Sep 2011

how did you face end up? I have the same striped swollen areas, and I am very worried. I am post IPL- 3 days. I am wondering if I ruined my entire face, it was fine before.

JR1jamesy (unregistered guest) 30 May 2009

I just received my first ipl 14 hours ago. I'm a little tender and have some of those swollen stripes...I was thinking maybe it looks like I slept on top of a drain grate? I couldn't help but giggle reading all that. I can relate, but I am staying optimistic. I have too much discoloration that has caused me to want to hide anyway. A few more days to see at least a little bit of improvement is worth it.

blumenauer 24 Apr 2009

i will not do it again either. i am glad you survived the ordeal without some really serious disfigurement. some have been permanently damaged and have needed very expensive fat grafting and such to recover!!! I think IPL should be reviewed by the FDA AND by the clinics who provide them. Take care and stay away from the spa!

blumenauer 21 Apr 2009

in what way were you disfigured!!?? for how long? others would appreciate your gory details. thanks much

fatarina 24 Apr 2009

i would be happy to share the gory details with anyone who is interested. Basically, when i got home and looked in the mirror i saw my septum (left side) was very swollen and white as if a big chickpea had been stuck there. I also noticed a dragging distortion to my left nostril when i spoke, like it was melting. This downwards displacement of nostril also exaggerated the swollen septum - as if a fairy was up my nostril tweaking it (septum) with a string. It protruded out in an unattractive twitching motion whenever i moved my mouth to speak or drink. It became infected after the scabbing, despite keeping it clean. The doctor who carried out this treatment was uninterested when i showed him my septum. So, i saw another doctor who prescribed me some ointment. I was in an emotional mess, couldn't eat, got up in the dead of night to examine it in the mirror, sobbing to myself with regret. I thought my world had ended. The downtime was horrendous! Nothing like it is described on the glossy leaflets or by the doctors. Anyway, I started to notice an improvement after about 4 months when i could look in the mirror without feeling panic. Now my nostril still drags down slightly when i talk, especially when i say 'o' or 'u' sounds, and my septum is bigger on the left than the right, but nowhere near as bad as before. I have good days when i put on my makeup and feel good about myself but i have the odd bad day when i get paranoid about it all. My main worry was that i would have ended up with a keloid bulging out of my nostril, unable to breathe, not to menion the way i would look! I am left with a small white circular nodule like bump. Noone else seems to notice it, my family and partner tell me its all ok now, etc. Countless doctors have told me to stop worrying that it's Ok but to 'leave well alone' in future. Still, this has scared the hell out of me and i could never do it again even if someone paid me. The thread veins are also still there.

fatarina (unregistered guest) 20 Apr 2009

I had IPL for thread veins around my nose. At best - a complete waste of time and money. At worst - disfiguring, you don't know what your playing with. Avoid like the plague!!

JR1james (unregistered guest) 30 May 2009

IPL's are not meant for veins. I went in asking for the best treatment for those...I've had the brightest red veins on my nose that have always been nearly impossible to hide with makeup. My doc told me the Vbeam. I did it, it hurt, but immediately they were gone. Yes, some bruising (purpura) was visible after awhile and lasted a few days, which is normal. Now I love my nose. I went in for the IPL yesterday for brown spots and I see where it has pulled the pigment up. Wearing very little makeup is exciting. I just cannot believe there are people out there willing to take your money to do a procedure for something it's not even for.