Is IPL Treatment Painful?

IPL (intense pulsed light) or photofacial laser treatment can be painful depending on the type of laser machine that your doctor has. Discomfort can be minimized with numbing cream followed by Saran wrap to be applied 45-60 minutes prior to IPL treatment.

Thank you for your question! Some people may feel slight discomfort depending on pain tolerance.  It is usually referred to as feeling like hot grease splatter.  Some patients feel as though it does not hurt at all and others believe it can be uncomfortable. The treatment is very quick and you do not feel any pain when the treatment is over, your skin may just feel warm like a mild sunburn. 

With every burst of energy delivered by the IPL device, you may feel something like a rubber band snapping against your skin. This may be painful depending on your sensitivity level. Numbing cream may be applied beforehand to reduce discomfort.

Treatment with IPL feels like a cool rubber band snap.  Some patients are able to tolerate this well, but for those that find it painful, topical numbing cream can be used that can make the procedure completely painless.  

Often times patients describe IPL treatment as a hot rubber-band snap to the skin.  In our office, we use topical numbing cream prior to the IPL treatment.  This along with gel and cool blown air are very helpful in decreasing the discomfort associated with the treatment. 

The IPL treatment should not hurt. In our practice, using the Zimmer air cooler in addition to the optional use of numbing cream can make IPL a very comfortable treatment. Some IPL’s are archaic, but the ones from Cutera, Lumenis, Syneron, and Palomar have proven to be effective. That being said, there needs to be a skilled operator.