If your face got really red after lidocaine/tetracaine, should you proceed with an IPL for reds and browns?

Question

How can the red filter tell the difference between the red spots you want to target and your entire face?

Laura Riehm, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question, but they are doing it wrong!  We never use numbing cream when treating vascular issues.  Numbing creams tend to constrict the blood vessels that are supposed to be treated with an IPL.  I hope this helps.

Katherine Dee, MD · Answer

You ask a great question. The IPL device generally targets red and brown spots. If your skin is very red from anesthetic (which happens to most people, completely normal) then the IPL cannot distinguish between that and red lesions. This is why we don't recommend using anesthetic before IPL of the face. Most people can tolerate the treatment without the lidocaine.

If your face got really red after lidocaine/tetracaine, should you proceed with an IPL for reds and browns?

Answers (2)

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