IPL Treatment Following Radio Therapy?

Question

I have finished radio therapy for breast cancer in August this year and wish to have IPL on my facial broken capilaries and redness. I have a lot of redness and capilaries and have seen a IPL lady but she is reluctant to treat me due to having had radio therapy. Can anyone tell me if this is a problem or not? I will be see ing my oncologist in a couple of weeks and will ask them but they may not know. I'm 62 years old and fair skinned. Kaye

Paul S. Nassif, MD · Answer

There is no issue with having IPL treatment following radio therapy, and you would be fine to have the treatment. IPL works great for broken capillaries and redness, I think you would be really happy with the result. Thank you and I wish you the best of luck!

Anne Marie McNeill, MD, PhD · Answer

I see no problem in treating you with IPL.  There is no reason to think that radiotherapy for breast cancer would be a contraindication to IPL.  

	I would suggest seeing someone with more experience.  If the practitioner you saw did not know that, I wonder what else about IPL she doesn't know!  With the right IPL device and settings, fair skinned people can get excellent clearance of broken capillaries in just a few treatments.

Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC · Answer

There should be no problems receiving IPL treatment to reduce redness and blood vessels following radiotherapy. Most important is to choose a medical clinic supervised or overseen by a dermatologist to ensure optimal results and safety.

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

I have done over 125,000 IPL treatments in my offices, and many to patients with varying health conditions. I have treated patients who are actively undergoing various radiation and cancer treatments, and many post-treatment as well. There have been no issues. If the office is reluctant to treat you, I would suggest you find an office overseen directly by a physician, as there aren't issues with this, but an "IPL lady" may not be the most experienced person, in general.

IPL Treatment Following Radio Therapy?

Answers (4)