Post IPL treatment: breakouts and pigmentation.

Hi shieny_cake it's unfortunate that you have to go through this. Asian skin types can be very tricky as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after light and laser procedures is highly possible. it is important to see an expert Cosmetic Dermatologist who specializes in lasers to provide safe and effective solutions. In your case, I believe you should have pre-conditioned your skin with a topical regimen to prevent any PIH for a minimum of one to two weeks prior. You should see someone who knows what they're doing as scabbing after an IPL should never happen. Hope this helps! 

I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist for after care post IPL. I usually recommend a combination of treatments with IPL for best results. I suggest adding microneedling/prp and skin care to improve skin quality and tone. Pigmentation can be improved with laser, Aerolase, microneedling/prp, skin lightening and peels. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Thank you for your question shiena_cake. I understand your concern.
IPL is a great treatment for facial rejuvenation. For my patients I recommend a series of 6 monthly treatments followed by 1 maintenance treatment every 3 months thereafter. Full results are seen slowly over time rather than after a single treatment. Patience is important. Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

You must be careful treating Asian skin with the IPL. You can easily get a burn which in turn can turn into hyperpigmentation. Also when treating pigmentation you must make sure that sun spots are not confused with Melasma. Although FDA approved for the treatment of Melasma IPL will temporarily reduce the pigment and then you can get rebound pigmentation which can become worse then it was before you started. I always recommend skin types 3-4 pretreat their skin with Vitamin C and a Retinol products for 2-4 weeks prior to treatment. Doing a test spot never hurts either.

I'm very sorry you are going through this. Though IPL is a very common treatment, it is possible to have complications like burns and hyperpigmentation. PIH is fairly common in darker skinned people. In Asians, IPL can be tricky, because even lighter Asian skin can act like darker skin when it comes to aesthetic treatments like IPL. PIH usually will go away over time. Getting on a skin lightener now will help to make the new pigment fade more quickly. Hydroquinone and retinol are examples. I would recommend going back to your doc right away to start treatment. And of course, stay out of the sun and wear sun block every day (always-- but especially to make sure the spots don't get worse). I would recommend no more IPL treatments!

Thanks for the great question and I'm sorry this is happening to you. Sometimes in patients with darker skin types, you can get what is called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation after IPL or laser treatments. It sounds like you might of had a fairly aggressive treatment. I would go back to see your doctor to see what they recommend. It sounds like you should be on hydroquinone which will help reduce the pigment from any new areas forming. For resistant areas you might need to try something like tri luma to remove the pigment. As always, wear a good sun screen and minimize sun exposure as this will help reduce formation of more sun spots. Best of luck!~Dr. Sieber