IPL Photofacial Brown Spots. Will They Flake Off?

It can take 1 - 2 weeks for the coffee ground spots to flake off.  During this time, try not to pick at the spots, let them slough off on their own. 

Thank you for the question. Usually they flake off in 7-10 days. Sometimes up to two weeks.

IPL is not a true laser but rather a spectrum of different wavelengths of light.  The light targets specific conditions in the skin such as pigment and redness.  When treating pigment the pigment is broken up and takes on a coffee ground appearance than sloughs off. This will take about a week or more.  Often times the patient will not notice the scabbing or raised appearance of the lesions as it can be very subtle.It takes several treatments of IPL to remove pigment as the deeper pigment must work its way to the surface over time in order to be eliminated.  Be patient it sounds like to are having an expected response.

Intense pulsed light, also referred to as IPL or photofacial, treats sun-induced brown spots of the skin and helps to reduce visible redness caused by red vessels.

Here's how it works:


IPL delivers a range of light to the skin.

Within that range of light are wavelengths of light that are easily absorbed by browns and reds

The browns and reds of the skin are heated when they light is absorbed by them

Heating a brown spot causes it to darken, often compared to chocolate chips or coffee grounds

Our skin cells are always rising to the surface and flaking off, and the darkened spots do the same

This process can take days to weeks to complete depending on how "deep" the brown spot is

Reds are reduced in appearance because heating the vessels causes them to shrink

It takes several treatment sessions to obtain optimal results


There are many IPL machines on the market, some are very powerful and others aren't. The differences in machines and experience of the person delivering the treatments will influence how long the healing from a treatment takes and how many treatments are need.

Brown spots that show up after an IPL treatment usually go away once the epithelium is sloughed.  However, 6-8 weeks is usually necessary before you can see the final result. It is important to be patient and allow the treated area to fully recover.  And stay in contact with the provider/skin care center that performed the IPL, as they are the best source of information for you.

At 3 days out and based on what you are describing, it does sound like coffee grounds, which is the actual pigment rising out of the treated skin. It can be flaky or gooey, but it usually does come about 2-5 days after treatment. You can LIGHTLY rub the spots as they surface--very lightly, with your hands only and a light cleanser, to help sluff them off the surface. Coffee grounds should not be scabs--those would be burned sites. They should be flaky or gooey spots and your face can feel smooth.