I’ve been treating skin for over 30 years and there was a period in the early days when some clinics would use the IPL device (intense pulsed light) on just about anything! Fortunately, things have changed.
IPL is an amazing tool and can give almost instant gratification, but it’s really important that you are the right candidate for treatment.
It cannot be used on darker skin types as the energy will heat up ‘normal’ pigment in the skin, not just the darker, sun-damaged patches. This would potentially cause a burn and further pigmentation issues. Melasma is also another condition than can be exacerbated with IPL. IPL and lasers create heat, and melasma can be triggered by heat.
However if you have light to medium skin, IPL is very efficient at removing freckles and sun spots. In my 30 years of treating skin, I have found IPL to be one of the most satisfying treatments to perform. To give you a quick breakdown of how the IPL journey works, follow my simple guide.
It’s important to remember though that IPL can diminish these unwanted brown spots but it is the use of your skincare – topical Vitamin A, antioxidants, and good sunscreen – that controls the way the skin behaves, and the amount of pigment distributed in the skin. You can’t treat pigment long term with IPL alone. I’m a big advocate for treating the skin holistically, as there is really no one way to treat the skin.
If you’re keen to find out if you’re a good candidate for IPL skin rejuvenation – or if other treatments might suit you better – we’d love to see you for an Initial Skin Consultation.
P.S. Click here to see some amazing Before & After photos!
Your skin guru, Lauren
