What skin problems can be addressed with an lPL photofacial? (Photo)

Question

First IPL photofacial yesterday. Confused by what I was told at derm’s office compared to research.No redness after treatment, ,a few dark spots popped up.No pain, swelling, or bruising. I read that this can be used for brown spots, enlarged pores, rosacea, spider veins & wrinkles. Aesthetician said it wouldn’t help pores or wrinkles. She said we were doing whole face, but did not. Did I get the wrong procedure, an incomplete procedure, or was I expecting more than an IPL can provide? Thank you

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Our office has many different treatments for scars depending on the depth of atrophy or hypertrophy. Scars require a combination approach using our HI DEF protocol which uses a combination of lasers, topical scar modulation, and RF treatments to pixelate scars, improve contour, reduce hyperpigmentation, and improve the visibility of the scars so that they are no longer visible in ambient light. Everyone has a unique pattern of scarring and we employ our HIDEF technique to improve texture, color, contour, and topography. We often use a combination of treatments that begin with a careful examination to examine the micro texturing of the acne scars. Atrophic scars and indented  scars can benefit from injectable fillers such as Radiesse, Sculptra, and Restylane with or without subcision to remove tethered scars and atrophic depression. Hyper-redness in scars can be improved with V beam laser, Excel V, BBL, IPL, and Venus RF to improve  the redness and reduce the visibility of deep scars. Fractional Thulium laser and clear & brilliant can also reduce the inflammation and redness of the scar when combined with topical therapy. Fractional lasers such as Fraxel, erbium, and CO2 laser can be combined with radio frequency and also fractional RF to improve textual issues and microtopography. Subcision and TCA cross are also used for deep ice pick scars and narrow valley scars in order to improve the micro texture.  Above all, our combination approach with our clinical nurses and board-certified plastic surgeons can improve the quality of your skin by using at home Melarase creams combined with PRP treatments in our office to improve your skin quality and tone. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an experienced team of experts in order to reduce your scarring.
 
Finally, hyperpigmentation of scars can be improved with at-home Melarase AM, Melarase PM, and Melapads to help reduce active PIH and melanin deposition.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian

Mitchel Goldman, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. IPL is typically recommended to treat brown spots and skin redness. The device delivers wavelengths of light into the skin to target these concerns. The device is adjusted to the precise needs and skin tone of each patient. In many cases, doctors and aestheticians start with a lower setting to see how your skin responds. When you are doing a series of treatments (as patients often are with IPL), the settings may be increased with subsequent treatments to produce a more dramatic result. Keep in mind the results improve over time, so you will likely notice results develop in the days and weeks that follow. It is always best to work with an experienced provider who has had extensive training in IPL to ensure the best possible results.

Alan B. Brackup, MD, FACS · Answer

Great question-- Sometimes these lasers and procedures can be so confusing. Firstly- there are a ton of different lasers on the market and no two (IPL's) are the same. The IPL laser in our office is used to treat brown spots and red veins/vessels. It feels like a hot rubber band snapping. When you leave you are red and swollen, sometimes bruised if you have a lot of red vessels. Over a few days dark brown spots will appear and flake off. I have never recommended the IPL for wrinkles or pores. Hope this helps.

Anshul Gambhir, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. A good way to look at what the IPL laser does is that it treats "reds" and "browns". IPL can help with background redness, rosacea, and diffuse freckling. It will likely not help with any larger discrete brown spots and will not help with pore size or wrinkles. If the esthetician did not do your full face when she said she was going to then it does sound like you didn't get the full procedure. In terms of the "downtime" of the IPL, you may experience a sunburn like appearance, "peppering" which is your dark spots/freckles getting darker, as well as possibilities of pain/swelling. These are all just POSSIBLE side effects but doesn't mean they are going to happen. If you didn't have these side effects that doesn't mean your treatment wasn't beneficial either. Likely since it was your first treatment, the esthetician wanted to see how your skin would react and didn't have the settings too high so they wouldn't cause any burns. IPL works best in a series so the more treatments you get, the more results you will see and they will likely bump up your treatment settings as well. Hope this helps!

Anteneh Roba, MD · Answer

Intense Pulse Light (IPL) Treatments are usually used to treat red and brown spots it also helps skin rejuvenation.

What skin problems can be addressed with an lPL photofacial? (Photo)

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