IPL or Chemical Peel for Sun Damage & Redness/thread Veins?

Chem peels will improve the sun damage and even out the skin blotchiness while IPLs will get rid of the broken capillaries and help sun damage. We do a package deal of 5 micro dermabrasions, 5 IPLs and 5 chem peels for $3000 for the face. Patients get all 3 procedures each of 5 times a few weeks apart and this gives them the best improvement to their skin for photorejuvenation. Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD 

IPL can effectively treat red veins, freckles and brown spots.  It will also stimulate collagen and give your skin a glow.  Sun protection is a must.

If your main issue is red veins, then IPL or a laser will be best.  If your main complaint is brown spots, I prefer chemical peels as the first line therapy.  If you have both, then IPL can hit both problem areas.  You can also do a few treatments of both or alternate them. 

A quality ipl or light laser will be useful in the treatment of sun damage & redness/thread veins. For some patients, chemical peels in conjunction with the ipl or laser works well. Consult with an experienced, reputable, and expert physician who can suggest the appropriate treatment or combination of treatments.

IPL can help with some ruddiness and sun damage. Other lasers are better for spider veins.  Good luck.

IPL effectively treats sun spots and blood vessels on the face. A procedure commonly known as photofacial, is performed with the IPL device and is able to successfully remove brown spots and broken capillaries/redness on the face. It also improves fine skin texture, and in some patients it may minimize pore size. Yet, like Dr. Ort mentioned, not all IPLs are created equal. A number of them are powerful enough to deliverer the expected results. We use the Palomar Icon Aesthetic System with excellent outcome. 

Please keep in mind that not all IPL machines are created equal.  Some machines are underpowered or do not allow the user total control over the settings.  We use the BBL which is considered by many physicians to be the best IPL on the market today.  We get great results with the BBL with very high patient satisfaction.

Different treatments will treat different skin conditions. Selecting the appropriate trreatment depends on what exaclty you want to treat. While both chemical peels and IPL work well the brighten the skin, I find IPL is better for the "reds and browns" on the skin. Therefore, if your main problem is veins or facial redness, IPL is a great treatment. If you are bothered more by blotchy tone and texture, and rough skin that comes from sun damage, my recommendation would be a chemical peel. 

Without a picture it is difficult to evaluate your issues. However, based on your description, I think the IPL would be most beneficial as it works for both brown and red areas.  A chemical peel will not help the veins at all.  

For the skin issues you have described, IPL or Photofacial treatments would be the best modality to bring about an improved look. I agree some of the comments made by my colleagues, to make sure that your skin response to the treatments is thoroughly assessed before moving forward and the you make sure the IPL machine being used is powerful enough to get you the results you are looking for.

After all is said and done, make sure you are using an antioxidant SPF of at least 30 daily, and develop good sun protection habits to delay recurrence of signs of sun damage to your skin.