POSTED UNDER IPL Reviews
28 Years Old. Alma Harmony IPL for Rosacea Caused Fat Loss, Lines and Indentations - Preston, GB
ORIGINAL POST
In March 2014, after years of struggling with...
$100
In March 2014, after years of struggling with redness and flushing from rosacea, I finally took the plunge and had an IPL session at Sandon House Clinic in Preston (UK), which was recommended to me because it is staffed by qualified nurses. I was very nervous about treatment having read many conflicting reviews on this website, but I was so fed up of my rosacea I'd reached a point where I felt it was worth the risk. How wrong I was, and how I wish I could turn back time. About 2 weeks after the procedure (which itself was quite painful, but no immediate side effects other than redness), I noticed my face becoming thinner, and strange indentations appeared on my nose-to-mouth lines. My forehead was suddenly covered in fine lines. Over the next few weeks, my face gradually lost volume and my skin had a dehydrated, aged look. I went back to the clinic to present my symptoms, and the nurse who treated me said these symptoms were not a possible outcome of IPL, that the light doesn't penetrate the fat layer; basically all the rubbish that many other patients in a similar situation on this site have been told by their so-called carers. I suggested to the nurse that she have a look at some of the anecdotal evidence on this site, and she replied 'I don't need to look online, I've been doing this for 20 years'. So that was my Sandon House Clinic experience. Furthermore, Alma Lasers claim that their harmony machine is the '2nd generation' of IPL, and their blog actually provides a link to this site to place themselves above the old machines which they suggest are the problem. Not so. At the time I was reassured by this, but now I see it as very clever marketing.
For anyone contemplating IPL for rosacea, please re-think. I thought it wouldn't happen to me. I thought all the negative stories on here were coincidental, or the result of seeing non-medical professionals. I was very wrong. Logically, if you inhibit blood flow to the skin, soft tissue and underlying fat (and that is the role of IPL when used for rosacea - to coagulate and destroy the blood vessels that cause the redness and flushing), then there must inevitably be some tissue necrosis. 10 months on, I am now seeing a consultant regarding fat transfer therapy, which will cost approximately £2500, and mourning the loss of my old face. I no longer recognise myself in the mirror, and my self-esteem has suffered very badly. What's more frightening is the lack of interest from doctors. Ask yourself: what do I have to gain or lose from writing this review? Nothing. And what does a doctor/nurse have to lose by denying these side effects are possible? Their reputations, their professional integrity... and a lot of cash.
For anyone contemplating IPL for rosacea, please re-think. I thought it wouldn't happen to me. I thought all the negative stories on here were coincidental, or the result of seeing non-medical professionals. I was very wrong. Logically, if you inhibit blood flow to the skin, soft tissue and underlying fat (and that is the role of IPL when used for rosacea - to coagulate and destroy the blood vessels that cause the redness and flushing), then there must inevitably be some tissue necrosis. 10 months on, I am now seeing a consultant regarding fat transfer therapy, which will cost approximately £2500, and mourning the loss of my old face. I no longer recognise myself in the mirror, and my self-esteem has suffered very badly. What's more frightening is the lack of interest from doctors. Ask yourself: what do I have to gain or lose from writing this review? Nothing. And what does a doctor/nurse have to lose by denying these side effects are possible? Their reputations, their professional integrity... and a lot of cash.
Replies (18)
I had the same issues, and similar bad results. I had rosacea, acne and very oily skin, but I had no wrinkles, very smooth skin and looked very young for my age (almost 50). I had one IPL tx using what i thought was an excellent machine (Sciton BBL) administered by an MD herself. See my Review on this site. I experienced the same WITHERED and aged look due to many tiny dents and lines. It's like the IPL fried the collagen in my skin or something. And everybody acts like the IPL can't do that. WELL IT DID. I see it w/ my own eyes. It's like I aged 10 years - 10 years of sunbathing, guzzling booze, not getting enough sleep. My years of RetinA, careful sunscreen use, eating my berries and veggies - all down the drain. But I think it doesn't happen to everyone, and there lies the rub. I think they (the medical device industry) either cannot predict who it will happen to, or they know but don't want to issue a warning and cut into their profits by scaring people. If you are one of those whose skin reacts badly, you are made to feel like it can't happen, it must be your fault or your imagination. I STRONGLY encourage you and anyone who has suffered a bad result to make a formal written report or complaint to the proper authorities in your country. Only when ALL reports of ALL injuries have been made do we have ANY chance of anybody doing anything at all about this. In my country, the US, it's the FDA. The FDA's authority to act has been gutted by industry-written changes in laws, and reduced funding. But it's all we have. I made a report to the FDA, and I encourage you to make a report (or two) to the proper authorities in your country. The other thing that might help get some action on this is bad publicity. However, every time I see a story making it into the news. the angle is, oh, look what some nurse or technician did, get yours done by a proper doctor and you should be fine. That is total hogwash. My damage was caused by an MD, and so was the damage caused to thousands of other people. We need to get action on getting unsafe devices off the market and we need to get treatments for the damage developed! I would love to find a treatment to fix my IPL damage. I have seen 3 different dermatologists, and everyone is at a loss at what to do. One, who teaches laser and IPL seminars, could not explain what happened, and could only tell me to stay away from all IPL treatments and other treatments that use heat. The most they can offer is RetinA and doxycycline for the inflammation, HQ for the pigmentation, and to use sunscreen - all things I was doing BEFORE the IPL ruined my skin.
I too have had the same problems. I am 54 and have always looked after my skin - sunblock, eating all the 'Superfoods', no alcohol etc. and always received comments on my nice smooth skin and that I looked younger. Now I have aged 15 years in just ten weeks. My skin is dried snd withered and so sensitive, I have ten times the pigmentation, I've lost all the fat and my face looks gaunt and haggard. I would give anything to turn the clock back and reading posts on this site it may get a lot worse. I received no assistance from the MD. She was so rude and said it could not cause these problems. I am so depressed. The loss of fat makes my nose look bigger and I can no longer tie my hair up as I want to just cover my face. Make up just accentuates the mess. These doctors should be made accountable for ruining people's lives!!
I'm really sorry to hear this. Same exact thing happened to me. Very Scary stuff. If I had the time and money I'd sue. But it seems like these butchers are protected by the powers that be and it would be an uphill battle to go after them. I got the same rude treatment when I went back to question why I had all this weird stuff happening to my face after one laser procedure. And it's a tough spot to be in because many people don't have any sympathy for you because they see it as the price of vanity. I emailed a very very highly rated Plastic Surgeon recently about my situation and he said there was nothing he could do to fix laser damage. His response to me was to see a dermatologist and look into lasers. Huh?? And he does lasers in his office! What a joke. So I don't believe all the great reviews on a lot of these doctors. I think a lot of them are bogus. I hope that these reviews here are starting to raise more awareness about the dangers of lasers though.
PS from my reading, it seems that the pulse width is an important setting due to the relationship between vessel relaxation time and the pulse width. I noticed from my records that the dr. in my case did not record the pulse width used in my treatment.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I am a very shy person, which makes this all the more difficult. I was in denial about it for many months - it's only now that I've accepted the reality of it. It isn't even the skin damage that upsets me most - it's the fat loss. I have a gaunt look which is at odds with the rest of my body. I can't wear my long hair down anymore because it emphasises the angular shape my jaw now has. I have told my doctor, an NHS dermatologist and 2 NHS consultant plastic surgeons, and none are knowledgeable enough about IPL to comment or to support me. My only way out is fat transfer, which may not go well or even last. I am very sad, as I'm only just 29 and already feel like my best days are behind me.
Hello so sorry to read this. thanks for having the courage to share your experience. It is not worth the risk if something like this can happen especially after just one time. Was wondering how long the IPL laser was on your face for? And when did the damage stop showing itself, if at all?
Thank you for your comment. The IPL never actually touched my face; she put cold gel all over me and zapped the whole surface area of my face quickly from a distance. The damage became apparent about 2 weeks later, and continued to develop over the following months.
I had the same experience coco. My face was red after the laser but the damage didn't start to show until weeks later. A close friend of mine noticed it first in the sunlight. Unreal.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the community.