28 years old- Is preventative IPL better than waiting until there are age spots to treat?

Question

I am 28 and currently, I'm happy with my skin. I have very minimal signs of aging, no age spots, etc. However, I had a VISIA analysis done which shows 80% UV spots, so apparently I have sun damage that is not yet visible on the top layer of skin. Does it make sense to get IPL now to treat the sun damage preventatively before it shows, or is it better to get treated once it actually becomes a cosmetic issue? I can't afford to do it too often

A.J. Amadi, MD · Answer

IPL treatments work best on sun damage that has appeared on the skin already. The device is attracted to the contrast in color on the skin from the damage vs non damage areas. Meaning it is best to wait on receiving IPL treatments until the dark spots are visible. Sun damage is cumulative meaning as you get older more sun damage will appear with time and not all at once. It is usually recommended at least 3 treatments for best results depending on the extent of the visible damage.

Jamé Heskett, MD · Answer

Hi
I would focus on wearing good sunscreen, and using a retinol in the winter time. Get regular facials or peels to stimulate cellular turnover. I don’t think that spending money on IPL is going to be a worthwhile choice right now. If you see a spot come out….You can always ask for it to be treated as a “spot treatment” and see if they will give you a discounted rate since they are only going to discharge their device once or twice and take up a 15 min time slot at the most.

28 years old- Is preventative IPL better than waiting until there are age spots to treat?

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28 years old- Is preventative IPL better than waiting until there are age spots to treat?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about IPL

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.