IPL works but there is downtime

To provide some background, I am a 49 year old female with moderate sun damage. I am a type II-III on the Fitzpatrick scale. I have not always been diligent about wearing sunscreen. Within the last few years I decided to do something about freckling, spots and wrinkles. I began with OTC retinols and at home chemical peels (20% glycolic acid) as well as topical vitamin C for about a year. I then moved onto a prescription strength retinoid (.025%) in November 2018, so I have been on prescription-strength for 5 months. Once this tube is done I will move up to the .05% RX strength as retinoids are the bomb.
While these interventions helped a bit, I was looking for a more dramatic treatment. I kept researching and came across IPL. The reason IPL appealed to me is because the idea of a laser removing a layer of skin freaks me out. IPL is not a laser and does not remove skin. IPL uses different wavelengths of light at varying strengths to target reds (vascular damage) and browns (sun damage).
I read hundreds of reviews and came across many horror stories of fat loss and orange-peel textured skin post-IPL, but the majority of what I read was favorable. I had my first IPL treatment in January 2018 on my neck and chest to "test the waters". I wanted to see the results and side effects on a less obvious area before I committed my face to IPL.
My chest responded well; IPL removed about 30% of the sunspots and reduced my redness by about 30% as well. I will take those results after one treatment! The cost for my chest and neck treatment was $500. As far as getting the treatment, I would rate the pain as a 2 on the pain scale, closer to a 4 around the nose and upper lip areas. The chest was about a 2 all over. I have a high pain threshold.
I went to a reputable dermatology clinic and my treatment was done by a trained, seasoned physician. This provider has undergone years of training and education in laser and light therapies. I would not trust my skin to a technician at a Medspa, no way. This is your SKIN people. Pay the extra $$ for a skilled provider, or don't do the treatment, period. If you go to someone who is not trained properly, you may never get the skin you once had before IPL back. And for the $$ you saved, you may be shelling out much much more for repair treatments. Just invest the $$ up front to get the treatment done properly.
Right now I am on day 5 of my 1st facial IPL and 2nd chest IPL. I am coffee grounding, but my skin is getting there. And the idea of no downtime from IPL? Not true. I had 72 hours post-procedure swelling, my neck and face were moderately swollen. Enough that I did not go out on day one. The swelling is pretty much gone by day 5, and I am just waiting for the remaining coffee grounds to fall off. I am wearing SPF 50 physical block sunscreen, staying indoors most of the time, and washing with Cetaphil, my regular cleanser. I did have a slight heat rash on my chest on days 2-3. I used hydrocortisone 1% cream and took a couple of Benadryl before bed on day 3, which seemed to help quite a bit with both the swelling and itching. There is itching, but it is not unbearable.
I am here to assure you that there is downtime with IPL. You can cover the coffee grounding and redness with makeup, but it is still slightly noticeable. The swelling is obvious though, and IMO if you get a nice aggressive treatment (which is what you want) then you will get swelling. If you get a less aggressive treatment it will take more treatments to get your skin back in shape.
I have attached a photo of my left cheek to give you an idea of where my skin is at on day 5. I will probably need 2-3 more treatments on my face and 1 on my chest, and then will go for an annual maintenance IPL. I also plan on doing my hands and the back of my neck, and maybe my arms.
I say if you are on the fence about IPL, go for it. Just find someone who knows what they are doing, preferably a physician.