When Should Swelling Dissipate After IPL?

Swelling after IPL under the eyes can happen but it's not very common. It is unusual that you see more wrinkles on that area just because when the skin is swollen the wrinkles are less visible. I would recommend icing the area 2-3 times a day, using aloe gel or hydrating eye cream. The skin under the eyes is more delicate and it's normal to take longer for the complete recovery.

thank you for your question.  IPL treatment treats red vessels, hyperpigmentation and it improves the texture of your skin by producing collagen and elastin. you will pepper after the treatment and the dark spots will appear darker before they flake off. do not be alarmed.  This takes 2-4 days depending on your skin type and the intensity of the treatment.Always consult with a physician to make sure you are a good candidate.

Swelling after IPL is not that common but it can happen.  It depends on how aggressive the treatment was, the area treated and the patient's propensity for swelling.  This should resolve over time.  You can apply a soothing cool gel such as arnica or aloe and ice as needed.  Sleep with your head elevated over the next several days.This should help.  The wrinkles only appear to be worse because of the swelling . Once the swelling is resolved things should look better.

Swelling after IPL treatment usually will resolve after 24-48 hours. Occasionally I have seen longer but this is usually in more sensitive skin individuals. I agree that eyes tend to have more swelling than other areas. Ice is helpful and I encourage it with my patients for a day or so. I would expect any exaggeration of wrinkles would be transient. 
Matthew Muellenhoff, DO

Thank you for your question! Swelling post anIPL treatment is one of the after effects of Intense Pulsed Light treatment. Itcan possibly happen, albeit not usually common. Swelling should normallysubside within 24 hours after the treatment. However, this timeframe is alsodependent on the location of the swelling. Swelling near the eye may takelonger to subside since the skin in this area is very delicate. Give it 3 to 5days to subside on its own. You can also help the process by icing the affectedarea 1 to 2 times day using a cold towel. Do not place the ice directly toavoid burns. You may also use topical creams such as aloe very gel to speed upthe healing and keep the area moisturized. In addition, elevate your head whensleeping to help the swelling subside faster. If the swelling continues formore than 10 days, you may want to visit your doctor for a follow up checkup.

Some patients do experience more swelling under the eyes after IPL. I am one of them. It seems to happen more frequently in patients with diffuse redness pre-treatment more than in those with mainly brown spots or larger veins. It is also more common in patients with thin skin, or those who have been on tretinoin. Usually it resolves in 3-5 days, but rarely I have seen it last as long as 7-10 days.

For those patients who are more prone to swelling, and for myself, we have found that pre-treating with Prednisone the morning of the treatment (3-6 hours before treatment) and applying cold packs immediately after treatment reduces the swelling pretty dramatically. We also recommend those patients sleep on an extra pillow the night after treatment, and until the swelling resolves.

And be sure you are wearing a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen daily, and avoid sun exposure for 3 weeks before treatment.

I have never seen it increase lines under the eyes, except temporarily for a couple of days.

Thanks for your question.
IPL can cause slight swelling for up to 2-3 days, but in cases where the inflammation may be more, it may take slightly longer for the swelling to settle down. This might be the case in your situation, and I would simply give it more time and see how it looks after one week. Under no circumstances would I worry that IPL gave you more wrinkles. Perhaps it may feel like that because of the swelling and the appearance of new lines, but again, this will be temporary.
Hope you feel better about this, and good luck!