IPL - Intense Pulsed Light
IPL Photofacial - Intense Pulsed Light is most effective on white, untanned skin. People with tanned or naturally dark skin are not good candidates for pigment or redness removal. The bright light is scientifically tailored to cause the destruction of bacteria that inflames acne-prone skin, unsightly spider veins; unhealthy skin infiltrates, and damaged cells that signal sun damage (brown spots).
Clients often ask “Are the results from IPL permanent?” and the answer is “Yes and no.” We are constantly aging, and even despite our best attempts at sun protection, most of us still get incidental sun exposure throughout the year. Treated brown spots can return if whatever caused them in the first place recurs.
For that reason, we recommend completing a series of 3-6 treatments, and then getting a treatment twice a year in the winter to remove some of the signs of sun damage and aging that may have accumulated over the past year.
Sometimes a specific brown spot that resolved with IPL treatment may come back months or years later. This does not mean the treatment did not work, but rather, the treatment worked and the spot returned due to aging and lifestyle factors, and it should respond well to another treatment.
IPL treatments work very well to reduce and remove brown and red spots on the skin and create an overall better complexion. However, as this treatment has “minimal or no downtime”, it is necessary to do 3-6 treatments to achieve the very best results as we don’t know how much sun damage is sitting in the epidermis until after the first treatment.
Staying out of the sun for at least 2 weeks before and after the treatment is an absolute requirement so as to avoid any adverse reaction related to the treatment, which is why we generally advise patients start their treatment series in the fall or winter so that they are done before summer and can be well-protected from excess sun/heat exposure.
Approximately Ten days after treatment, you will experience smoother skin, improvement in skin tone, reduced brown spots, and diminished redness.
It is not recommended to do the treatment before sun exposure as it will speed the return of any brown spots that were removed with IPL treatments.
IPL is NOT a magic wand. Usually, 3 - 6 treatments booked 4 weeks apart are required for optimal results. Results vary from person to person. We DO NOT recommend IPL for sunspots during the summer months or prior to going on a hot vacation. IPL is great for targeting pigment irregularities, but exposure to sun can reduce its impact as your skin requires longer healing time and limited sun exposure to be effective. If Sun damage is not your primary issue, you can also use IPL to calm down redness caused by rosacea. If you struggle with this skin condition, you know that the summer months can bring on flare-ups. Prone to acne? IPL can kill the bacteria that causes breakouts. It’s also an excellent means of kick+starting collagen production, which heals and youth-ifies skin from the inside out using your very own collagen. IPL does so much that it can take on multiple skin issues in a single session.
For Rosacea treatment maintenance, we recommend you book your appointments monthly. IPL treatment of facial rosacea is effective in obtaining clearance of approximately 77.8%, with minimal side effects. If treating cheeks for maintenance only, you may book “IPL partial treatment” once you have discussed and confirmed with the technician.
For Sunspot treatment maintenance, we recommend 1 to 2 times per year. IPL for sunspots can often look worse before it gets better. If you have a more olive skin tone than you may experience hypopigmentation. After IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is the loss of skin color, appearing as white spots, usually temporary but sometimes permanent, especially in darker skin types and It often resolves as skin heals.
Not seeing sun spots (pigmentation) darken or flake after an IPL treatment can be a normal part of the process, especially after multiple sessions, but it can also be due to the pigment being deeper in the skin.
Here are the primary reasons why you might not see the typical "coffee ground" effect:
You've had previous treatments: The "coffee ground" or darkening effect is most noticeable after the first one or two treatments because superficial pigment absorbs the light first and flakes off easily. After subsequent sessions, most of the surface pigment is gone, and the IPL begins treating the deeper layers of pigment. This deeper pigment is harder to see with the naked eye and won't flake off in the same way, but it is still being broken down and absorbed by the body.
The pigment is deeper in the skin: The depth of your sun spots determines how they react. Deeper pigment may not show the same initial darkening or flaking as superficial spots.
The treatment settings were conservative: We use lower, more cautious energy settings, especially if it is your first session, to gauge how your skin would react. Conservative settings mean less initial reaction on the surface, but the treatment can still be working effectively over a series of sessions.
Patience is key: Visible improvement typically doesn't happen overnight. It can take 1 to 2 weeks for the pigment to fully fade or shed, and multiple treatments are generally needed to achieve optimal results. The most noticeable change will be seen by comparing your before and after photos after your full series of treatments.
Individual variations: Everyone's skin journey is unique. Some individuals naturally have less of a reaction even when the treatment is effective.
IPL treatment can even treat cystic acne, which consists of fluid-filled cysts embedded in the skin that are painful to the touch. Regular acne treatments can't touch cystic acne but IPL treatment penetrates the skin tissue to get right to the source of infection and inflammation. IPL may help if you have acne or the scarring it causes. You may need about six sessions to notice a difference.
IPL treatments will NOT be performed on anyone with tanned/dark skin without having had a consultation with the technician, who is pregnant or nursing, using medicines that make you sensitive to light, epileptic, have active cold sores, open wounds, or has used retinoids within the last two weeks or Accutane within the past 6 months. Please advise your technician.
Perspecta Beauty reserves the right to refuse service to anyone. At Perspecta Beauty, we believe it’s always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to safety and encourage new and expecting moms to wait until they are done nursing to receive their IPL service. If you have any questions about our procedures, we welcome you to give us a call at (250) 999-2171.
A Clarifying HydraFacial MD® is highly recommended before performing an IPL Acne treatment to clean and extract whiteheads/blackheads from the pores as long as the Acne is not severely active. Book And Save with the Clarifying Hybrid Combo.