How Often Can I Do IPL?

Our office has many different treatments for skin and scars depending on the depth of atrophy or hypertrophy. Scars require a combination approach using our HI DEF protocol which uses a combination of lasers, topical scar modulation, and RF treatments to pixelate scars, improve contour, reduce hyperpigmentation, and improve the visibility of the scars so that they are no longer visible in ambient light. Everyone has a unique pattern of scarring and we employ our HIDEF technique to improve texture, color, contour, and topography. We often use a combination of treatments that begin with a careful examination to examine the micro texturing of the acne scars. Atrophic scars and indented scars can benefit from injectable fillers such as Radiesse, Sculptra, and Restylane with or without subcision to remove tethered scars and atrophic depression. Hyper-redness in scars can be improved with V beam laser, Excel V, BBL, IPL, and Venus RF to improve the redness and reduce the visibility of deep scars. Fractional Thulium laser and clear & brilliant can also reduce the inflammation and redness of the scar when combined with topical therapy. Fractional lasers such as Fraxel, erbium, and CO2 laser can be combined with radio frequency and also fractional RF to improve textual issues and microtopography. Subcision and TCA cross are also used for deep ice pick scars and narrow valley scars in order to improve the micro texture. Above all, our combination approach with our clinical nurses and board-certified plastic surgeons can improve the quality of your skin by using at home Melarase creams combined with PRP treatments in our office to improve your skin quality and tone. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an experienced team of experts in order to reduce your scarring.

Finally, hyperpigmentation of scars can be improved with at-home Melarase AM, Melarase PM, and Melapads to help reduce active PIH and melanin deposition.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

I normally see my patients 4-6 weeks after each IPL. The skin needs to heal and recover after each treatment and wait for the sun spots to flake off. Find a medical provider who is experienced using IPL on all skin types and apply an spf daily to prevent any darkening of the skin.

IPL treatments can be done every 3-4 weeks.  I would highly recommend that you see a provider who has good experience with using IPL on patients.  It is also very important to not be tan at the time of the treatment.

While enticing, the concept of one device or modality, such as IPL, being capable of treating a whole variety of skin problems equally well (such as acne, acne scars, dyspigmentation and hyperpigmentation and spider veins on the legs) may not be entirely realistic or appropriate.

Unfortunately, I have been less than impressed with the overall  results from many of the overly hyped and marketed energy- and light-based devices. I have been in practice long enough to have seen so many of "latest and the best" of these come and go and be replaced many times over by other sets of devices that make the same claims.

By contrast, I have consistently found that individually addressing specific problems with treatments that have stood the test of time, rather than trying to shot gun them with one device that may not be optimal for all is a far better and more cost effective approach in the long run.

There are certainly many prescription treatments for controlling active acne with proven efficacy. There are numerous approaches to acne scar improvement, including medical microneedling, punch-excision, manual dermasanding, and subcision, to name a few, which may be used either alone or in combination depending upon the kind(s) and extent of the acne scars present.

Likewise, hyperpigmenation and dyspigmentation can be dealt with via the appropriate use of topical prescription and OTC products, either alone or in combination with a series of inexpensive mild superficial peels, such as glycolic acid, Jessner's solution, low concentration TCA, or salicylic acid (all of which have proven effectiveness against acne, as well). 

Finally, the gold standard for spider veins on the legs continues to be sclerotherapy, the injection of a solution to irritate the lining of these tiny, unwanted vessels (which serve no purpose in either providing nutrition or oxygenation to the skin) and close them off permanently. 

In summary, consultation with a board certified aesthetic dermatologist versed and experienced with all these different treatment options would be preferable in my estimation to reliance on one single modality, such as IPL, that may not provide the results desired to the extent desired for treating all these problems.

Its suggested having IPL 4 weeks apart each treatment to see full results. I also advise patients not to sun tan a few weeks before having treatment.

Best of luck

IPL can be performed every 3-4 weeks, and as long as it is being performed by a medical clinic with highly experienced staff such as dermatologists, you should have both optimal safety and results. Most people find 4-8 treatments are sufficient for most problems, although sometimes maintenance treatments 1-2/year are a good idea (e.g. for rosacea, sun damage). 

As long as you are not tanned, IPL treatments can be performed at 3 to 4 weekly intervals.  You should consult an experienced laser physician to see if one of the fractional lasers might be a more effective treatment for your acne scars.

IPL treatments are recommended every 3-4 weeks for your initial series, which should be between 3-7 treatments, depending on what's being treated (i.e., acne, discoloration, veins, etc. will each require a different number of initial treatments but the same intervals between). After the initial series, maintenance is usually recommended approximately every 6-12 months.