POSTED UNDER IPL Reviews
IPL Aged Me 10+ Years - Dunn Loring, VA
UPDATED FROM Peyton2012
1 year post
Final Update
Peyton2012September 20, 2016
$300
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.
Replies (5)
September 25, 2016
Can't wait to hear your good news. I think we could all use a little of that :)
November 29, 2016
Thank you so much for this review. I got IPL 2 years ago and for the 1st year, the results were incredible. However in the last 8/9 months my skin has seemed to rapidly age and it looks very similar to the photos you've posted. Micro lines everywhere, enlarged pores, even the forehead lines. It's like my elastin just gave up over night. I'm so upset, confused and panicked. Is it possible for these effects to have a delayed onset such as in my case? My skin is creepy and drapey all the sudden.
November 30, 2016
Yes, these issues can emerge as late as two years out, according to all the research I did on victims of IPL and laser/RF/US treatments -- although that is not the usual case. I'm so sorry this happened to you, we both had gorgeous skin (even though I am 20 years older than you) and IPL ruined it, as it did many, many other victims on this site, of all ages, and the emotional and psychological devastation that can follow is very difficult to deal with in and of itself, let alone formulating and sticking to a long-term regimen to reverse the damage.
What Dr. Emer told you about IPL and lasers increasing elasticity was *total crap.* In fact, thermal treatments -- laser/IPL/US/RF -- destroy elastin,* which is a VERY delicate structural protein. Now, just natural aging also messes with elastin levels, but you are very young, so you should be having any age-related elasticity problems whatsoever.
I'll be posting an update to my other review (I am no longer updating this one) to let everyone know what the status of my skin is now that I've got a few months of micro-needling and Pycnogenol-taking under my belt. BTW, I have budgeted up to 2 years of treatments to fix the problems, and will probably be getting some increasingly potent glycolic or salicylic peels in 2017.
* and not just elastin, they can mess up your fat and collagen, too -- those 3 elements are critical for smooth, taut, voluminous skin.
What Dr. Emer told you about IPL and lasers increasing elasticity was *total crap.* In fact, thermal treatments -- laser/IPL/US/RF -- destroy elastin,* which is a VERY delicate structural protein. Now, just natural aging also messes with elastin levels, but you are very young, so you should be having any age-related elasticity problems whatsoever.
I'll be posting an update to my other review (I am no longer updating this one) to let everyone know what the status of my skin is now that I've got a few months of micro-needling and Pycnogenol-taking under my belt. BTW, I have budgeted up to 2 years of treatments to fix the problems, and will probably be getting some increasingly potent glycolic or salicylic peels in 2017.
* and not just elastin, they can mess up your fat and collagen, too -- those 3 elements are critical for smooth, taut, voluminous skin.
November 30, 2016
Thank you so much, Peyton. I feel incredibly isolated in this and my closest friends are telling me that what I'm noticing is not noticeable to anyone else- I think this is an attempt to ease my nerves, however it only further complicates the way I feel. I'm so upset. I feel like my face is drooping off over night. I agree that what Dr. Emer offered is completely unhelpful. If you could direct me to any studies showing that IPL harms elastin/collagen, I'd greatly appreciate it. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
November 30, 2016
Yes, it is incredibly isolating as well as enormously distressing. You are not alone in feeling isolated (no pun intended). Your friends love you and are trying to be as nice to you as they possibly can. But your B&As are almost identical to my B&As, and I thought, no effing way does anyone that young have skin that looks like that unless something bad happened.
I stopped researching IPL in April, and as of that time there were no official studies by the NIH or the AAD or whoever about the major risks of IPL specifically -- that I knew about -- but there are *loads* of highly educational testimonies on this site and on others, and perhaps one of those will cite such a study.
I will keep you and our fellow IPL victims in my thoughts and prayers.
I stopped researching IPL in April, and as of that time there were no official studies by the NIH or the AAD or whoever about the major risks of IPL specifically -- that I knew about -- but there are *loads* of highly educational testimonies on this site and on others, and perhaps one of those will cite such a study.
I will keep you and our fellow IPL victims in my thoughts and prayers.
January 12, 2018
December 10, 2016
I am so sorry to hear all of this. My mishap happenend with microneedling! And like a dummy when I was told to do more microneedling to fix the damage from microneedling I did another treatment with prp! IPL has recently been suggested by several people however if I had such a negative result with microneedling I fear I would for sure have a worse outcome with IPL from what I've read about it.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It will save many of us from jumping off the cliff into the deep dark pit. I sincerly hope that you find a way to get your skin back to a place where you can feel peaceful about. I know how this damage effects your self esteem but you need to know that you are absolutely beautiful! You have other attributes many of us would love to have. Try to focus on that, keep your chin up, and as time passes hopefully things will begin to get better.
Good luck!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It will save many of us from jumping off the cliff into the deep dark pit. I sincerly hope that you find a way to get your skin back to a place where you can feel peaceful about. I know how this damage effects your self esteem but you need to know that you are absolutely beautiful! You have other attributes many of us would love to have. Try to focus on that, keep your chin up, and as time passes hopefully things will begin to get better.
Good luck!
December 11, 2016
Hi LillaLou,
Thanks very much for your post and nice compliments!
Unfortunately, any treatment, any at all, even just a light organic moisturizer, has the potential to damage the skin and cause things like orange-peel skin, crepey wrinkles, shiny/waxy sheen, etc. Skin can react badly in a number of different ways for a number of different reasons, and microneedling has, in a few cases, been implicated with these kinds of negative effects. I am very sorry that you did not have a good experience with needling.
I cannot and will not advise doing any IPL, lasers, radio-frequency, and/or "ultrasound" treatments because thermal procedures can cause exactly the same problems needling did for you and can therefore *compound* the damage you have already sustained.
I also advise not doing any more needling, including PRP (of course).
I will recommend peels, though. My only caveat is that you test them rigorously: first on non-needling damaged skin, and then on needling-damaged skin. If you wait and there are no adverse effects, you should try a *low-concentration* peel first, then go higher if your skin handles it well.
You may also try clinical-grade Pycnogenol, which the NIH found to boost elastin levels in the skin.
Best wishes and good luck to you!
Thanks very much for your post and nice compliments!
Unfortunately, any treatment, any at all, even just a light organic moisturizer, has the potential to damage the skin and cause things like orange-peel skin, crepey wrinkles, shiny/waxy sheen, etc. Skin can react badly in a number of different ways for a number of different reasons, and microneedling has, in a few cases, been implicated with these kinds of negative effects. I am very sorry that you did not have a good experience with needling.
I cannot and will not advise doing any IPL, lasers, radio-frequency, and/or "ultrasound" treatments because thermal procedures can cause exactly the same problems needling did for you and can therefore *compound* the damage you have already sustained.
I also advise not doing any more needling, including PRP (of course).
I will recommend peels, though. My only caveat is that you test them rigorously: first on non-needling damaged skin, and then on needling-damaged skin. If you wait and there are no adverse effects, you should try a *low-concentration* peel first, then go higher if your skin handles it well.
You may also try clinical-grade Pycnogenol, which the NIH found to boost elastin levels in the skin.
Best wishes and good luck to you!
January 28, 2017
Peyton, have you heard of peolple actually getting skin damage from things like organic moisturizer?
That's crazy,, but I guess I will believe anything now since my own damage from literally only using a retinoid twice.
I'm not sure if I commented here before but your skin looks almost identical to mine in certain lighting...a few pics look like they could actually BE my skin...and that's really scary considering I just used a cream. And I'm about 25 years younger than you! So I totally believe that your skin looked like the before pic, I bet that's what mine would have looked like when I got to your age. Pores and lines were not even in my vocabulary until now. My skin looks so rough but is like mush to the touch. I thought it was edema but now I think it is loss of elasticity. It makes no sense to me. My skin should be able to regenerate at my age especially. This makes me sick. I have no chance at a life now no matter what anyone says. No comfort can come after this has occurred when there's little to no hope out there for something that happens so easily and SHOULD have an easy solution. Even bad plastic facial surgery and botches have more hope than this!!
When I first used the cream, the reaction was visible after coming out of the shower..did a triple take in the mirror because at that point. There was no pain.
The second use was when the extreme burning occurred to the point of having to stay in bed because of the pain. My skin was never the same after that. Now it's been 5 months and not an ounce of improvement.
I've been to several derm's who said it would all go away and when it didn't, they said it was "aging" or that they didn't know how to help this issue!!!
I feel like I am in the twilight zone with these people.
That's crazy,, but I guess I will believe anything now since my own damage from literally only using a retinoid twice.
I'm not sure if I commented here before but your skin looks almost identical to mine in certain lighting...a few pics look like they could actually BE my skin...and that's really scary considering I just used a cream. And I'm about 25 years younger than you! So I totally believe that your skin looked like the before pic, I bet that's what mine would have looked like when I got to your age. Pores and lines were not even in my vocabulary until now. My skin looks so rough but is like mush to the touch. I thought it was edema but now I think it is loss of elasticity. It makes no sense to me. My skin should be able to regenerate at my age especially. This makes me sick. I have no chance at a life now no matter what anyone says. No comfort can come after this has occurred when there's little to no hope out there for something that happens so easily and SHOULD have an easy solution. Even bad plastic facial surgery and botches have more hope than this!!
When I first used the cream, the reaction was visible after coming out of the shower..did a triple take in the mirror because at that point. There was no pain.
The second use was when the extreme burning occurred to the point of having to stay in bed because of the pain. My skin was never the same after that. Now it's been 5 months and not an ounce of improvement.
I've been to several derm's who said it would all go away and when it didn't, they said it was "aging" or that they didn't know how to help this issue!!!
I feel like I am in the twilight zone with these people.
January 12, 2018
January 12, 2018
April 11, 2017
Hopefully you are feeling better & your condition improving. Thanks for your review, based on it & others I will never do this. If for some crazy reason I did, it definitely would not be from a deal on Groupon. Like the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Best of luck to you
on your next procedure.
April 11, 2017
Just an FYI, most of the people on here with IPL damage received treatments from a board certified dermatologists office that they trusted... so seeing how this woman has already suffered enough emotional pain, salt on the wound is probably no necessary.
May 10, 2017
I got my damage from a Board Certified doctor. actually from 2. One was double certified. Groupon has nothing to do with it. If their good their good, if not your screwed whether it be a doctor or at a spa. I have laser damage & ipl damage. both from expensive doctors. No Groupon. I paid full price because I thought like you did. I went to ones that others said were great and the best in the city. HA. In two cities, one in Philly and one in Tampa. I wish I did use a Groupon so I wasn't out so much money for the damage these doctors caused. I also went to one from Realself and he was full of baloney. I went because he talked so big about scars & things he could do & when I went he said he couldn't do anything. I made him give me back my 150 consult fee, they said when I called that you can use it towards other procedures so I said ok, i'll use it for filler & get this, he says your not a candidate for filler. Who isn't a candidate esp since I had everything to try to fix the scars. I had to call back and tell them I wanted my money back since he wouldn't do it, it was a pain but I got it back. So if you want go pay big bucks for someone expensive since you think saving money is the reason for damage. It's not and I have the bills to prove it.
UPDATED FROM Peyton2012
10 months post
More Damage Emerging 10 Months Out
Peyton2012July 21, 2016
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!!!
Replies (4)
July 21, 2016
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I was burned on my chest with IPL in 2009. The microneedling will help. I promise!!! It takes time and you have to be dedicated to rolling but you will see results. You can look at my review of IPL and the scars it left on my chest. They are not totally gone today but they are much better than the white bar marks I had for several years. Hang in there!! And do keep us posted.
July 29, 2016
Oh no! I thought you were in the clear. So sorry to hear about cheeks. I had fat loss in my cheeks-more in the right side. I have started doing facial exercises to strenghthen my cheek muscles and lift them up higher. I heard another IPL survivor had some success with cheek exercises.
September 6, 2016
Hi Hurketer, I am very sorry to hear about your fat loss. Actually it appears now that the slight recession is basically equal on both sides of my face and therefore due to natural aging (and to the slight facial asymmetry that has always made everything on the right side of my face less prominent/large than everything on the left). But because these thermal treatments are so tricky and diabolical and can cause damage to pop up many months and even years afterward, I do not consider myself to be in the clear yet.
August 13, 2016
Don't smoke! It impedes blood flow to your skin and will only make things worse.
Oh, and if you're over 50, you ARE invisible to men. Learn to laugh about it.
August 13, 2016
I will never laugh about it because it is not funny. When I reach 50 I will invest in a deep-plane facelift and a necklift with platysmaplasty. This year I am getting a lower-lid bleph with fat repositioning.
September 4, 2016
Can anyone say "sense of humor?" Because none of us looks like we did at 18 (and this is NOT a bad thing.) And what does it say if our sense of self-worth is dependant upon our physical beauty and sense that others' views of us are the ultimate validation? Would you rather stick out because you don't look good for your age, whether that's because you look "too good" or "too old," or be "invisible" and confident in yourself? Gees, beachchick930. Get a grip. And Peyton2012, use the money for travel. After 50 we are our experiences, not our faces. Now, having said all that, do these treatments for YOU (as I've done; it's not hippocritical, I do this for me, not to impress others). And don't be disappointed when the 20-somethings do not see you. Despite everything, you'll still look like "mom" to them.
September 6, 2016
Thing is, the 20-year-olds *did* see me before the IPL. I had wrinkle-free skin that got me regularly mistaken from anywhere from 10-20 years younger even at the age of 46! I was pursued by no fewer than THREE 20-year-olds last year and also a bunch of guys aged from 25 to 63. I did not look or act like "mom" to any of them, although post-IPL I sure resemble her now! And, I have been very lucky to live and travel all over the planet already, so, yeah, I'll be getting that plastic surgery. Not to look 18 again -- because only boneheads believe that is possible -- but to gaze into the mirror and see *me* again. That's the kind of experience I value these days!
May 14, 2017
Well, the needling does not seem to be working, but the wrinkles are so shallow that a series of strong peels may work. On the bright side, a 36-year-old just mistook me for being the same age as him, he didn't know I'll be 49 in just a few months.
January 6, 2022
I have experienced the same. The dermatologist that I went to said she's using long pulse laser for my treatment and she didn't explain what I should or shouldn't do after the treatment even though I ask, many times. She said can do whatever as normal. Is IPL similar as long pulse?
UPDATED FROM Peyton2012
10 months post
Closeup Pic of Right Cheek and Chin Area
Peyton2012July 3, 2016
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.
Replies (3)
July 5, 2016
I think your skin looks fantastic. Especially compared to mine. Just my opinion
July 5, 2016
I got triangle/rectangle scars from ipl too. They of course didn't see it. She made them right on the top of my cheek where the light hits your face.
July 6, 2016
I know, Sats, and I am so sorry that happened.
The biggest blister I got immediately after the treatment healed into a triangular scab and then a hypopigmented scar the shape of a triangle, too. There were actually two triangle-shaped scabs, a smaller one below the larger surface one. I told my longtime dermatologist that was a sign that the IPL had penetrated to the dermis, and she said "IPL can't go that deep." For that and other reasons, like claiming IPL didn't cause my wrinkles, I fired her.
The biggest blister I got immediately after the treatment healed into a triangular scab and then a hypopigmented scar the shape of a triangle, too. There were actually two triangle-shaped scabs, a smaller one below the larger surface one. I told my longtime dermatologist that was a sign that the IPL had penetrated to the dermis, and she said "IPL can't go that deep." For that and other reasons, like claiming IPL didn't cause my wrinkles, I fired her.
July 7, 2016
Mine told me yes scars can happen if the wrong person does it. Then proceeded to hit me up telling me how long she's been doing it. I still have a raised blister looking thing there too.
July 8, 2016
Hi Peyton, I haven't been on here for a while. Just wanted to let you know I think your skin looks great. I'm almost one year out, no improvements.
I have some generic retin-a ( don't use this [RS bleep] please) scarring and wonder whether it may help tears ( which I have) regenerate .
Has any doctor suggested to you having fraxel?
I heard it may help me but having read plenty of negative reviews I'm very sceptical.
I had thought PRP was probably just a gimmick, but I moved it onto my "maybe" list of treatment options due to its apparent ability to heal certain kinds of tissues, like torn cartilage -- the jury is still out on whether it works on epidermal skin, though, as far as I know.
I'm afraid a doctor who suggests fraxel or another kind of laser to treat IPL damage is either stone ignorant or blatantly manipulative and greedy. Lasers are notorious for depleting elastin, just for one example.
Have you considered trying a "micropeel" or a light peel in a single-digit concentration? I've heard good things about the TCA, glycolic, and salicylic kinds, but would recommend doing extensive pre-testing first, of course. I myself am going to try a peel by the end of the year to see how it works on my shiny skin and enlarged pores.
I'll keep following you.
Prayers and thoughts your way. Miracles do happen. I'm counting on one for myself too,.
Best wishes to you, too!
Good luck to you!
It's very tempting, but not healthy or productive, to dwell on what might (not) have been.