POSTED UNDER IPL REVIEWS
Gave Me Bad Acne After Only ONE Treatment. Plainfield, IN
ORIGINAL POST
I'm 26 but I travel to Jamaica a lot and have not...
$250
I'm 26 but I travel to Jamaica a lot and have not taken good care of my skin (I do now!). So I finally broke down and bought a single ipl treatment. I got this done by the PA at my dermatologist who does all of them there. The treatment was not that painful. She did a great job. But here I am almost 2 months post treatment with bad acne :( Acne in places I've never had it before (temples, forehead, cheeks..). If you have acne prone skin, beware! Another thing, it gave me larger pores. I had very light light acne and some large pores prior, but the treatment doubled my pores in size on my cheeks and like quadrupled my acne. I will say as time goes by the acne is starting to calm down a little-but I don't know if that's because of the topical medication they gave me for it or not (at a recent appointment). But it does seem to be getting better.
I am going to post a before ipl treatment photo with no make up and (about) 2 months after. My skin looks worse and it's really mainly because of the cystic acne that has caused scarring. I haven't had cystic acne in years :( It's painful and it scars regardless of picking at it. (In the process of trying out derma rolling for the scars).
I will also post my post ipl progress of days 1-6 starting with treatment day to 6 days after. I did have bruising, but my skin was back to normal about 10 days after.
Did it help the dark spots? Not really. You will see in my before and after. Fyi, I only had one treatment and that's mainly because I have sensitive skin.
I would not recommend if you have acne prone skin.
I am going to post a before ipl treatment photo with no make up and (about) 2 months after. My skin looks worse and it's really mainly because of the cystic acne that has caused scarring. I haven't had cystic acne in years :( It's painful and it scars regardless of picking at it. (In the process of trying out derma rolling for the scars).
I will also post my post ipl progress of days 1-6 starting with treatment day to 6 days after. I did have bruising, but my skin was back to normal about 10 days after.
Did it help the dark spots? Not really. You will see in my before and after. Fyi, I only had one treatment and that's mainly because I have sensitive skin.
I would not recommend if you have acne prone skin.
DaniKaiser's provider
Replies (24)
March 12, 2015
OMG that's exactly what my skin did after IPL, except that I did not take good before photos myself! My skin had a terrible rosacea flare, complete w/ pustules, bumps, etc., and now I have EXACTLY the same kind of "orange peel effect" w/ small holes that look like giant pores, worsened texture, and increased acne, despite a dehydrated, withered appearance to the skin! I have similar but slightly darker coloring than you (I have pale but yellower skin tone, green eyes rather than blue, dark eyebrows and dirty blond hair). I also got some burst blood vessels and some minor burns. I think I got the same problems except that maybe they used a higher setting and mine was a little worse. I did a review on this website. WTH is wrong w/ these effin' machines, and the doctors who refuse to admit that these tx's can make your skin WORSE rather than better. It's been almost a year for me, and the bizarre bleeding from the pores has stopped, my burns have healed but left marks, and my skin still has orange peel effect, I still have dents, I still have more broken blood vessels than before and I am still breaking out. WTF.
March 13, 2015
I made mistake of going to a spa ran by a nurse. She gives Botox, fillers, etc... But no doctor is actually in the clinic. I asked if I could see doctor the nurse responded by saying the doctor could possibly come in on Saturday -she only comes in if there is a problem. She also stated the the doctor would not tell me anything different that what she has told me. I began using vitamin e n jojoba after second tx to help remove make up. Vit E was on list from first visit along with a page of other meds that are photosensitive. I can plead ignorance for not getting copy of list. I just have hard time believing using vit e -jojoba-then cleaning oil w baby shampoo at night to remove make up caused my skin not to get desired results from IPL treatment! I believe very near future we should start to see many of these talk shows w guest doctors warning people of damage these machines can cause !
March 17, 2015
I am seeing some broken capillaries now too but I'm not sure if it's from ipl or derma roller. So far dermaroller is helping with my dark spots and acne scars, but I don't see much difference with my pores yet. I've only done it twice though since I only do it once a month. I seriously wanted to stand outside that dermatologists office with my before and after pictures. Save someone else's skin! I've talked 2 people out of it and will continue to get the memo out since it's too late for the rest of us :(
March 18, 2015
DaniKaiser: I haven't heard of dermarolling causing broken caps but I guess it may be possible. I have experienced enlarged and new broken caps from the IPL, as in, some appeared IMMEDIATELY after the tx. I can't believe the bill of goods I was sold with this worthless and damaging tx. Lunch time procedure w/ no downtime my a$$. I reported my experience to the FDA's adverse event database, but in order to submit photos I had to do a paper submission by mail, the FDA lost it, I had to call for days to follow up, and finally got a person's email to whom I directly emailed my entire report and photos. Keep up the good work on spreading the word about the dangers of this tx, and I encourage you and anyone else who had a bad outcome to make a report to the FDA. You can easily do it online, but if you want to submit photos you may need to call to get the email for a specific intake person. The texture changes and wrinkles I got from IPL are very distressing. For me, I found RetinA, BP no more than 4%, religious ss use using a ss w/ ZnO, and good moisturizer with glycerin like Cerave in a tub and in the bottle helped, but did not cure my IPL issues. I notice the texture looks worse when the skin is dry, and now my skin is wayyyy drier than before, but still oily., like it can;t hold water anymore, or the skin is shriveled somehow and I have to keep it really plumped w/ glycerin and water to look halfway decent.
March 18, 2015
Callei don't blame yourself for seeing a nurse. I don't think it matters whether a nurse, tech, or dr. does the tx. Mine was done by the plastic surgeon herself, and it still came out bad. I also don't believe for a minute that Vit E-jojoba-baby shampoo would create any issues whatsoever. It's these dangerous machines that give unpredictable and inconsistent results. It's like playing Russian Roulette. You might be the person who gets the good results, and you might be the person who gets bad results. The greedy bast%rd$ selling these things and these txs have no clue why it sometimes goes bad, so they blame the patient. It's a classic blame the victim mentality. My doctor tried to blame my bad outcome on the fact that I had used RetinA for years before my tx. She backed off that pretty quick after I consulted w/ another doctor who thought that idea was ridic. Bottom line, though, RetinA was the cause or not, she indicated that my skin was thinner than she thought, and that may have contributed to the problem. My skin was pretty damn good before IPL, now it's crap. If thinner skin than she thought caused the bad outcome, why the hell don't they have an instrument to measure than and take that into account when picking the tx settings? Thye do that w/ LASIK on your eyes, a machine measure the thickness of your cornea. They should do that AND use some skin pigment analyzer rather than just the operator's seat of the pants selection of your Fitzpatrick Skin Type. I am caucasian and have been RELIGIOUS about ss use, and I look quite pale. However, I am only pale because of my sun avoidance. I actually tan pretty easily and have an olive tone to my skin. The doctor, in setting the machine, did a test spot, then said hmm, you're very fair ... that;'s when I think she turned the machine up! Bad move for me!
March 18, 2015
Actually I don't remember if she did a test spot before saying that about me being very fair, but bottom line, the paler you are, the stronger the settings can be unless you are Fitz I I think .... and she said that about me being very fair at the beginning, so I think she turned the settings up based on her seat of the pants judgment as to how thick and fair my skin type was.
March 19, 2015
I used retinol on my skin a couple of times and it left me with thin damaged skin. You are SO right comparing ipl to Russian roulette. It really is a gamble. And a gamble not worth taking. I did my second derma rolling treatment that seems to be helping everything. The first treatment I did, i did not have vitamin C serum all I had was HA serum. The vit C makes all the difference. My redness, pore size, texture, and dark spot all showed signs of improvement after my last roll. I do recommend it. I use .5 size of needle once every 3 weeks. I'm going to post a review here soon. Thanks for your info @iplissues. I hope you find relief soon. And good for you for spreading the word. It's people like you that will help get these aweful machines out of derm offices for good. (We can only hope..)
April 2, 2015
I had a very similar outcome also. Mine was done with a VBeam laser though. These lasers are risky and dangerous and I believe they know it and do it anyway. I hope there's a solution for what they've done to us down the road.
June 17, 2015
can't tell if you're asking me or someone else, but i'll bite. no improvement here. it seems i had some improvement around the 8 - 9 month mark, then plateaued, now it's a little worse.
April 30, 2015
You're having cystic acne break out not because of IPL treatment but due to bacterial infection/fungus. You should be treated by antibiotics orally first, and simultaneously with topical treatment. Only when your acne (cysts) is diminished (this may take 6 - 8 weeks), you should perhaps proceed with IPL/laser treatment. I'm also concerned about you mentioning you had bruising after IPL treatment...? - I never ever had any bruising at any time after IPL treatment. Whoever is administering IPL to you - is going too deep which is not right. I have ultra sensitive skin as well but I never experienced any bruising after IPL. Perhaps, this is because my IPL treatment was done by dermatologist - skin doctor and not by trained technician/assistant or nurse. My doctor told me right at the beginning (before my first IPL) that he'll go lightly on my skin at first to see how my skin will react. I reacted very well, without any problems. I was a bit red and I peeled after 3 - 4 days but that was all. After that my skin looked fantastic. The second time (after 8 months) my doctor went a more deeper on my skin with laser because we already tested tolerance of my skin. Again, I had no bruising, only redness and peeling of skin after 4 days. Yes, IPL treatment got rid of my dark pigmentation spots (areas) and my rosacea on my cheeks were minimalized. I'm due to another IPL treatment to minimize my dark under eye circles.
May 1, 2015
I went to the dermatologist to get this done. I also made sure I got testimonials from others before taking the leap. The practitioners assistant is the one who does the ipl's at this particular derm office. I was aware that bruising could occur, especially with as thin as my skin is. The bruising went away in about 5 days. That wasn't my concern. These ugly scars left all over my cheeks is my main concern. I've tried everything. I do agree though that it was turned up too high for me. I told her I wanted a very very conservative treatment done too. Gone are the days when health care providers actually listen to their patient's though.
The cystic acne is currently being treated with spironolactone. Which does help. But it got worse after ipl. I would say the acne flare ups are thankfully back to normal now. I increased my dosage and would like to decrease it back down to where it was prior to ipl.
thanks for your comments!
June 5, 2015
Dear luciamaria pls look up " Ocular Damage Secondary to IPL therapy to the Face' before you go ahead and have ipl treatment to minimize dark under eye circles.
June 5, 2015
Is there anything you are going to try for the scarring?? I'm considering a peel but am really scared.
June 7, 2015
I have heard human growth horomones paired with dermarolling works well on all scarring. I'd love to book a session with someone trustworthy since HGH is not available on the market. I am really liking Nerium AD in the meantime for smoothness
April 30, 2015
First, I'm very sorry for those who had negative experience with IPL treatment. I read many comments here and it seems to me that the root of the problem is in HOW this IPL treatment is administered. It's quite clear from many comments that when IPL is done on patient/client by only trained assistant/technician/nurse - results are less than positive or/and with many unpleasant side effects which should NOT be. I had IPL treatment done at least 4 - 5 times by now ( twice a year) by dermatologist, MD. Never ever I would put my skin in to hands of anybody else (although trained) but dermatologist. A difference is that when doctor (dermatologist) has a far better/superior knowledge and experience of/with skin than trained assistant/nurse. That's why when MD is administering IPL he/she can diagnose and determine the outcome just by seeing how skin reacts prior, during and right after IPL treatment. My skin is very pale, sensitive and I'm very careful with sun ( I never ever tan or go outside without SPF on my face). I was also worried how I will react to IPL at first but I have only positive experience and my skin improves enormously after each IPL treatment. I also had acne scars which completely disappeared after IPL. I empathize with those who experienced negative outcome and worsening of skin condition after IPL. Still, based on my own experiences - I can highly recommend IPL treatment. However, I would caution to have it performed - done only by certified MD, nobody else.
April 30, 2015
A lot of people here were damaged by dermatologists doctors and surgeons. I would stop now while your ahead.
May 1, 2015
My Dermatologist (not surgeon) knows my skin better than myself. I would never go to nurse to treat my skin. I trust him because I saw his work and he treats me for several years already and my skin improved significantly since I'm in his care.
May 1, 2015
Jennifer White is a NP sorry, I got that wrong. Practically the same position as Dr Geunthner who owns the office. Many patients see her instead. She specializes in ipl. The dermatologist there doesnt even touch the ipl machine. I asked, trust me.. haha. I have been seeing her for years now, so same as you, she knows my skin well. I read somewhere that the intensity of these machines can vary even though they can be set. Even when put on a lower setting they are capable of penetrating deeper than anticipated. While that information could be false with different machines, I am lead to believe that's what happened to me. I know many have had wonderful results from treatments which is why i paid to have this done in the first place. But know that yes, even highly esteemed doctors in the industry have performed treatments resulting in negative effects. (From what research I have done).
June 5, 2015
I had 6 ipl treatments by a Doctor and paid extra for his knowledge.
Treatments worked wonders for my rosacea, unfortunately the 6th treatment left me with the same textural problems. And can I add the filters or energy levels were not changed on the IPL machine.
I had IPL for rosacea which was quite mild.....I have very pale skin, and always use a spf on my skin (even in winter).
Just be careful everyone who is considering having ipl.
It has been said many times but everytime you have an IPL treatment you are basically playing "Russian roulette" with your skin.
May 8, 2015
Looking at your photos I could be looking at my own cheeks your skin tone and colouring are s
Also the same as mine. Since the IPL I have bad rosecia acne and I am devastated.
UPDATED FROM DaniKaiser
2 months post
Large pores getting worse
Just to update! Sorry my previous post said 2 months-supposed to be 1 month but I don't know how to fix it. Anyhow, about 1.5 months out post treatment and my pores are continuing to get worse on my cheeks :( getting ready to post some kind of devastating (devastating to me), before and after pics. And if these pictures don't make you change your mind about getting an ipl done I don't know what will. I want my old skin back :(
Replies (12)
March 10, 2015
Ditto, I want my old skin back! I have to agree with you about the increase acne. I rarely get acne to my forehead if I do usually a pimple or two which healing quickly but after My second treatment I developed patches of acne to my forehead. I contributed to stressing over hyperpigmentation worrying treatment was actually causing more harm n scarring. I also developed cyst like acne to chin she zapped them during my last Ipl tx they have developed into a hard knot. I can't get them to heal. I am having to make an appointment with dermatologist. I am told insurance will not cover visit due to its cosmetic. I advise anyone thinking of ipl treatment No ! I don't think enough studies have been done on this machine to be considered safe. Hang in there ! You only had one treatment and your young with time hopefully you can get your old skin back.
March 10, 2015
Callei, thanks for commenting. As a teen I had cystic acne and it went away as I got older. After the ipl, it came back with a vengeance! I just did some research on how to help them heal faster and it is working like a charm. Exfoliate! I use a microdermabrasion by neutragena to exfoliate. Don't put a whole lot of moisturizer on that area, and use a spot acne gel on it (whatever you normally use). The exfoliating has really helped. It cut the healing time in half for me. I also use tea tree oil to help dry it out, and lavender oil to help it to not scar. Hope that helps. Good luck! And yes, spread the word on how aweful ipls are!!!!
March 13, 2015
Thank you for posting. You are young and pretty anyway. Yes I don't think I will try IPL after reading many reviews which seem to be more negative than positive. I hate my hyper pigmentation though! Does anyone know anything which can help that is safe and effective ? Maybe any great creams ?? Or something ?
March 17, 2015
Peggy I posted a comment but now I don't see it.. Sry. I am using dermaroller+vit c+hyaluronic acid. I just did my 2nd treatment yesterday and my skin tone is improving. I only use a .5 once a month. It takes time to see results I've heard. But so far the biggest improvement has been my dark spots and acne scars. Deep pores are still there though. Research it before you get started if you decide to!
March 13, 2015
I'm sorry hope your skin heals. Btw your eyelashes are beautiful. Are they extensions?
March 14, 2015
Thank you! Perma lash. Lash clusters, not strips, or singles. I actually get them at walmart!
April 28, 2015
Thank you for sharing!! I was so intrigued on the lashes I didn't notice any skin problems. Wishing you lots of healing!!
March 13, 2015
I had a very similar reaction with a Lux 1540 laser and posted a review. My face went berserk within 2 days and my whole face was broken out. It never seemed to go back to baseline either. I had 3 whole courses of Accutane in my teens and early 20s so I had very little acne before the the 1540. I eventually went to the dermatologist and got an rx for spironolactone. It has really helped. I got a Vi peel as well as I thought that would help, but that was a huge waste of money. My acne was improving from the spiro before the Vi peel (almost all gone) and the Vi peel seems to have made texture and pores worse in some places. I'm probably going to think real hard about doing lasers or peels now especially for minor issues. I've actually had IPL one time and it didn't break me out. I think these medspas are just looking to make a profit and really don't educate you on risks.
March 14, 2015
Thank you for commenting Maggie! I have been on spiro for a long time now. It's a great medication with little to no side effects. I guess maybe I should increase my dosage. I decreased it since my acne was almost gone but now I'm thinking I need to back up :( I just wonder how long the breakouts will last..
March 14, 2015
Peggy2, try derma rolling. I have only done one session so far so I can't comment too much on it, but it's supposed to help. Also vitamin C serum and hyaluronic acid.
August 1, 2015
I'm suffering from adult acne, the worst I've ever had in my life! Age 29 and have an IPL appointment next week...maybe I won't be getting it...I appreciate your feedback! I hope your acne gets better..I feel for you!
UPDATED FROM DaniKaiser
2 months post
Make up primers and moisturizing
Biggest thing that has helped so far with the large pores has been microdermabrasion, bioree strips, and moisturizing. Extra moisturizer before bed made a HUGE difference for me today so I just wanted to share the before and after. If your not using enough moisturizer on your skin, the enlarged pores are significantly more prominent. I also like using a makeup primer. The before and afters are with no makeup primer and dry skin, and the difference it can make.
Replies (5)
April 11, 2015
Which make up primer do you use?
April 13, 2015
Magic perfecting base by Lorèal. It actually looks really good with out make up too but I have a lot of dark spots so I still wear make up.
April 28, 2015
What moisturizer do you use?
June 30, 2015
Have you looked into ZO Skin Health? Dr. Obagi has amazing skin care products!
Thank you for sharing your experience with the community. I am sorry you have had issues.