Why is IPL Not Working on Brown Spots?

While light-based therapies, such as IPL and numerous lasers, has dominated the press, been the source of intensive corporate marketing and advertising, and thus, not surprisingly, has captured the imagination of the lay public over the past couple of decades, the anti-aging and skin lightening results of treatment with these devices do not always live up to public expectations. 

While no therapy is ever guaranteed to work for any condition, a variety of chemical peels, which have been around for many decades and have stood the test of time, have proven useful for evening out irregular and blotchy skin pigmentation. When used properly and in appropriately selected individuals (and particularly when combined with home-use lightening agents), superficial chemical peels when performed in a series (4-6+ treatments) at monthly intervals often proves helpful for lightening melasma, solar lentigines, freckles, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, TCA 10%-25%, Jessner solution (a combination of peeling agents), while lacking the glitz of light therapies (and generally less expensive, as well), have all been found to be useful for treating these conditions, and treatment is suitable for both light-colored and more darkly pigmented spots..

 

Perhaps you need to have Fraxel rather than IPL treatments.  Especially consider this if you already have been treated 4 times and no results.

 

Good luck.  Hope this helps.

 

Dr. Grant Stevens       

IPL works best for darker brown spots and not as well for light brown spots.  If the brown spots are light, then the best treatment is usually laser treatment wtih a Q-switched laser.  Also, there are many different types of IPL machines and some work better than others.  We use the BBL machine in our office with nice results.   You should discuss this further with your cosmetic surgeon and see what he/she suggests.