Extreme discoloration: do I have burns from IPL? What should I do? (Photos)

Question

I went in yesterday for IPL to treat broken blood vessels. I was not prepared for the level of discoloration I'm seeing. Over the past 24 hours the darker parts have gotten darker and there is a small blister on my forehead. My skin feels sunburnt. Is this normal or is this a burn? Have I ruined my skin? I'll be contacting my provider on Monday morning. I'm reading some fantastic horror stories about IPL reactions so any help you can provide is appreciated.

Jake Wardwell, DO · Answer

Yes this is an IPL burn. If you take care of it by keeping your skin hydrated and avoiding any sun exposure over the next week then you will be able to minimize any scarring. 
Cetaphil is a non occlusive moisturizer that his hypo-allergenic that you can find at any pharmacy. Elta MD makes a post laser balm that may be even better but it will take a few days to get from an online store. 
Silagen is a non occlusive that helps maintain moisture and has a version with sun block in it that will be better for when you go into public since it is transparent. 
Keracell makes a potent growth factor serum called Recuperate MD that can help reduce any scarring and accelerate the healing. 
Elta MD makes a hypoallergenic zinc oxide sun screen that you will want to reapply every 3-4 hours when you are even in indirect light. 
If any spots develop into an open blister, you will want to apply bacitracin (OTC zinc based antibiotic) to prevent infection and keep it moist. If you have a history of oral herpes then you should be on valtrex. 
I have patients wash their face with hypochlorous acid, which can be bought online or you can get a prescription for Levicyn or Acuicyn. It is as easy on the skin as saline but as potent a disinfectant as bleach. 
Avoid anything else that you usually use because it will often irritate the skin that is raw and porous now. 
If you take care of this well now, you may actually get a great outcome because the deeper burn will stimulate more collagen and pull out more pigment. Definitely call your practitioners weekend call number as this is the type of thing they should be helping you to get through.

Extreme discoloration: do I have burns from IPL? What should I do? (Photos)

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Extreme discoloration: do I have burns from IPL? What should I do? (Photos)

Answers (1)

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Everything you need to know about IPL

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.