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Final Update
Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of my IPL treatment fiasco. After enjoying almost poreless and nearly wrinkle-free skin at the advanced age of 46,* over the next few months I developed a shiny epidermis from scar collagen and the following:
1) enlarged pores all over my face that can link up to form lines;
2) long vertical wrinkles spreading across my cheeks;
3) two "micro-tears": one resembled a deep fissure as if I had stuck my face with an upholstery needle, and the other is this sci-fi-looking trough in the shape of shallow, geometrical rhombus that does not appear natural at all and must be the result of DNA damage (see paragraph on radiation below**);
4) tight, dry skin everywhere when I used to have supple, normal or oily skin;
5) two indentations on the sides of my mouth and chin, one round and one triangular, respectively;
6) masses of thin, crepey lines that form around my mouth whenever I smile;
7) a gritty, granular texture on the side of my neck;
8) much deeper crow's feet when I smile; and
9) abnormal wrinkles on my forehead when I lift my eyebrows. Other people's forehead wrinkles go: smooth skin - wrinkle - smooth skin - wrinkle - smooth skin - wrinkle - etc. Mine go: wrinkle - wrinkle - wrinkle - wrinkle - wrinkle. I have only seen this effect in persons with a great deal of sun damage or with IPL damage.
10) In addition, the enormous amounts of horror, anger, confusion, and despair that had to be dealt with via meds, therapy, and connecting with other victims.
11) Finally, the fear that the damage might continue unchecked by time or treatments, leading to resistant or worse wrinkles and/or more indentations and/or fat loss.
IPL can deplete or destroy any or all of the following critical elements that keep your face youthful: oil glands, elastin levels, collagen levels, and volumizing fat. (BTW, only fat is a kind of cell.)
There is another review of mine, on microneedling for IPL damage in the Derma Roller treatment section, which I will be updating next on September 26 with a couple of bits of good news. I will continue to update that review. This review, however, is closed.
Thanks very much everybody for your great questions and suggestions! Hang in there!!
* I've uploaded a picture of my skin before the procedure. Yes, the lighting is ideal, but it really did look like that, and on the day that this photograph was taken my chin was actually behaving itself (usually it is a FEMA disaster zone due to chronic cystic acne and PIE).
**I received both thermal and radiation damage to my skin, especially on the right side of my face where she concentrated the light pulses (but they sprayed all over regardless). All light, including the invisible kind, is comprised of photons, which are irradiated particles. These things can be so damaging that museums have very strict policies about how much and what kind of light that very delicate objects may receive while on display or in storage. It's also the reason that staying out of the sun is so crucial for preserving young-looking skin.
1) enlarged pores all over my face that can link up to form lines;
2) long vertical wrinkles spreading across my cheeks;
3) two "micro-tears": one resembled a deep fissure as if I had stuck my face with an upholstery needle, and the other is this sci-fi-looking trough in the shape of shallow, geometrical rhombus that does not appear natural at all and must be the result of DNA damage (see paragraph on radiation below**);
4) tight, dry skin everywhere when I used to have supple, normal or oily skin;
5) two indentations on the sides of my mouth and chin, one round and one triangular, respectively;
6) masses of thin, crepey lines that form around my mouth whenever I smile;
7) a gritty, granular texture on the side of my neck;
8) much deeper crow's feet when I smile; and
9) abnormal wrinkles on my forehead when I lift my eyebrows. Other people's forehead wrinkles go: smooth skin - wrinkle - smooth skin - wrinkle - smooth skin - wrinkle - etc. Mine go: wrinkle - wrinkle - wrinkle - wrinkle - wrinkle. I have only seen this effect in persons with a great deal of sun damage or with IPL damage.
10) In addition, the enormous amounts of horror, anger, confusion, and despair that had to be dealt with via meds, therapy, and connecting with other victims.
11) Finally, the fear that the damage might continue unchecked by time or treatments, leading to resistant or worse wrinkles and/or more indentations and/or fat loss.
IPL can deplete or destroy any or all of the following critical elements that keep your face youthful: oil glands, elastin levels, collagen levels, and volumizing fat. (BTW, only fat is a kind of cell.)
There is another review of mine, on microneedling for IPL damage in the Derma Roller treatment section, which I will be updating next on September 26 with a couple of bits of good news. I will continue to update that review. This review, however, is closed.
Thanks very much everybody for your great questions and suggestions! Hang in there!!
* I've uploaded a picture of my skin before the procedure. Yes, the lighting is ideal, but it really did look like that, and on the day that this photograph was taken my chin was actually behaving itself (usually it is a FEMA disaster zone due to chronic cystic acne and PIE).
**I received both thermal and radiation damage to my skin, especially on the right side of my face where she concentrated the light pulses (but they sprayed all over regardless). All light, including the invisible kind, is comprised of photons, which are irradiated particles. These things can be so damaging that museums have very strict policies about how much and what kind of light that very delicate objects may receive while on display or in storage. It's also the reason that staying out of the sun is so crucial for preserving young-looking skin.
More Damage Emerging 10 Months Out
My other review has good news, but here is the bad:
As you know, the right side of my face took the brunt of the IPL. Lately I have noticed what seems to be a slight recession (loss) of volume on the right side of my face in the inner cheek area near my mouth where the crinkly, crepe-y wrinkles gather when I smile and that are apparent even when I *don't smile. There is a slighter recession on the left cheek in the same area.
Is it dermal atrophy? I don't know. Is it lipoatrophy (fat loss)? I don't know. I also don't know if it is due to the IPL or to natural aging (I will 48 in September and have been menopausal for almost a year). However, I recently read about a woman who only just developed dermal atrophy from a botched laser procedure she had FOUR YEARS ago! These thermal "beauty" treatments are the gift that just keeps on giving, aren't they. When does it stop???
On top of that, I am developing jowls -- where my jaw used to be straight line, it's now a very slight s-curved line on my left and a slight s-curved line on my right. Again, is it IPL-related sagging? Age-related sagging? Both?? IDFK.
In addition, there has been no change in the aforementioned crinkly, crepe-y wrinkles that were created when IPL fried my elastin and caused my epidermis to contract and now, for all I know, is making my dermis recede.
Finally, I have become invisible to men of all ages. This time last year, I was being pursued by guys aged 20 to 50. Now they all just call me "ma'am."
I quit smoking (again), but it is so upsetting that I want to light up this one last cigarette that I held onto in case of an emergency.
Thank you, IPL!!!
As you know, the right side of my face took the brunt of the IPL. Lately I have noticed what seems to be a slight recession (loss) of volume on the right side of my face in the inner cheek area near my mouth where the crinkly, crepe-y wrinkles gather when I smile and that are apparent even when I *don't smile. There is a slighter recession on the left cheek in the same area.
Is it dermal atrophy? I don't know. Is it lipoatrophy (fat loss)? I don't know. I also don't know if it is due to the IPL or to natural aging (I will 48 in September and have been menopausal for almost a year). However, I recently read about a woman who only just developed dermal atrophy from a botched laser procedure she had FOUR YEARS ago! These thermal "beauty" treatments are the gift that just keeps on giving, aren't they. When does it stop???
On top of that, I am developing jowls -- where my jaw used to be straight line, it's now a very slight s-curved line on my left and a slight s-curved line on my right. Again, is it IPL-related sagging? Age-related sagging? Both?? IDFK.
In addition, there has been no change in the aforementioned crinkly, crepe-y wrinkles that were created when IPL fried my elastin and caused my epidermis to contract and now, for all I know, is making my dermis recede.
Finally, I have become invisible to men of all ages. This time last year, I was being pursued by guys aged 20 to 50. Now they all just call me "ma'am."
I quit smoking (again), but it is so upsetting that I want to light up this one last cigarette that I held onto in case of an emergency.
Thank you, IPL!!!
Closeup Pic of Right Cheek and Chin Area
When I smile even a little bit, all those enlarged pores link up and form masses of long vertical fine lines that spread across my cheeks and gather around my mouth. As I get more thorough with my monthly 1.00mm dermaroller needling sessions, I am hoping these will go away over the next 1 - 2 years.
Provider Review
Kharel Weir
Northern Virginia Wellness Center, a "medspa," gets no stars from me.