Are welts after IPL a normal side effect? (Photo)

Hello Alexandra98,
My name is Jeanine, and I am a Master Medical Esthetician and Laser Technician with over 25 years of experience. I have been working with IPL systems since the very start of my career in aesthetics.
Looking at your photos, I do see a bit of inflammation in that area. Since you’ve had IPL treatments before without any issues, it’s possible that this new practitioner is using a different type of machine. In the plastic surgery office where I work, we have two IPL devices from different companies, and I’ve noticed that one consistently creates more post-treatment inflammation than the other.
From what I can see, your response looks normal for either a stronger machine or a more intense treatment. If you had red marks that matched the exact shape of the IPL crystal on the handpiece, I would be more concerned. This is why we do not recommend treating with IPL if you have a tan or have had recent sun exposure. It will increase the skin sensitivity because the IPL is attracted to melanin and tan is an elevated level of melanin all over.
What you’re experiencing looks like a typical inflammatory response—something you might not be used to if your past treatments were gentler. Mild redness and slight puffiness for 24–48 hours post-procedure is actually a good sign that the treatment worked. Your body is simply responding to the light energy and using lymphatic activity to repair the tissue. Cool compresses may alleviate the discomfort and puffiness more quickly.
I often tell my patients not to be surprised if they notice some puffiness the next day, especially around the eye area—it’s very common and should resolve on its own. I hope this helps!
Best of luck! Jeanine Oteri, LME, CLT answering on behalf of Anna Petropoulos, MD FRCS Center for Classic Beauty Boston & Danvers, MA

I believe you are correct that you should not see actual blisters with IPL treatment. that shows they have been aggressive and may cause you hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation.

This is a great question, yes welt are normal after an IPL treatment but they usually subside within 72 hours. If you do not please refer to your provider.

Thank you for your question. Welts are often seen when higher energy settings are used to treat broken vessels. I cannot speak for the practitioner that performed this IPL but it looks like they may have increased the joules in the tear trough area in an attempt to cauterize a broken vessel, as that is a common area in which broken capillaries appear. Aloe may help alleviate the pain associated with excess heat in the skin. I definitely recommend discussing your concerns with the practitioner you saw, especially if you see additional signs of a burn (blistering/discoloration/etc). Best of luck!

Although they may not occur every time, it is not uncommon to experience welts or redness after IPL treatments. Welts can sometimes be a side effect of IPL that occur due to irritation. If the welts persist or seem to worsen severely, it is then recommended to consult your practitioner.

Hi,
It looks like you may of suffered from welt/slight burn post IPL. This can happen if setting was increased or if you have had recent sun exposure prior to IPL. This will subside eventually make sure you apply cool compress/ice to area.Blistering may also occur. This looks relatively minor and you should get a good result once healed.

In my 12 years of doing both light based laser hair removal (IPL) and laser hair removal, skin should not burn after treatment or have physical red color. This is a sign of too much heat, not enough cooling ,or of letting energy dwell in skin too long, or packing energy into skin too fast. Consider going somewhere where they have a sliding laser hair removal system that has contact cooling to prevent getting even such small burn injuries. In today’s day and age there are many machines with advanced sapphire crystal cooling in both IPL laser hair removal and laser hair removal. Find someone with better equipment and better laser and light application knowledge to avoid risk of burns.

What you show in your picture looks with normal range for after IPL. The skin can definitely swell after IPL, even if it didn't in the past. It may also have something to do with the lesion within the welt, maybe higher settings or already some subtle inflammation there. I expect this to self resolve without issue, give it a couple of days. Otherwise call back to your doctor if you have any concerns!

IPL is often associated with welt formation during or just after treatment.
However, this appears to be an isolated acne lesion, and it does not look like a burn or welt.
I'd expect this to resolve in the next few days without consequence.