What Is IPL Treatment? Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, aka photofacial, is a way to improve the color and texture of your skin without surgery. It can undo some of the visible damage caused by sun exposure -- called photoaging. You may notice it mostly on your face, neck, hands, or chest. IPL may help if you have red, brown, or splotchy skin because of a health condition.

How IPL Treatment Works? IPL uses light energy to target a certain color in your skin. When the skin is heated, your body gets rid of the unwanted cells, and that gets rid of the thing you’re being treated for. Unlike lasers, an IPL device sends out more than one wavelength of pulsating light. It can treat a range of skin conditions at the same time. After IPL, you may look younger because your skin tone is more even. And since the light doesn’t hurt other tissue, you can get better quickly.

Who Should Get IPL Treatment? It works best if you have pale or light brown skin. Talk to your dermatologist if you want to lessen or get rid of:

• Acne Birthmarks

• Stretch Marks

• Liver or age spots

• Broken blood vessels

• Brown spots, also called liver or age spots

• Dark spots from hormonal changes

• Discolored skin

• Fine wrinkles

• Freckles

• Redness from rosacea scars

• Spider veins

• Unwanted hair

Who Shouldn’t Get IPL Treatment? Talk to your doctor first if you are:

• Pregnant

• Have a skin condition

• Take medication for other conditions

• On the day of your appointment, avoid using perfume, makeup, and scented products that can irritate your skin.

Effectiveness of IPL Treatment: How well IPL works can depend on what you want the treatment to fix. After one to three treatments, light therapy can get rid of 50%-75% of broken blood vessels for most people. They could completely go away. While treated veins don’t come back, new ones might show up later. If rosacea causes your face to flush, IPL can be a good alternative to laser therapy.