Ipl Laser For Wrinkles? They develop as the skin’s elasticity decreases and it becomes problematic to maintain a taut appearance over the face. Wrinkles can develop anywhere on your body where there is slack skin, not just on your face. This includes your neck and your hands.
Wrinkle creams can be used for both prevention and treatment, although they often have temporary effects and can be irritating to sensitive skin. Several topical creams are also rather costly and need to be used multiple times per day. IPL laser for wrinkles is a non-invasive alternative to traditional wrinkle treatments like creams, with better results and fewer side effects.
Wrinkles are a natural part of aging, but can also be caused by sun damage, genetics and lifestyle choices. We will review the main causes of wrinkles, what wrinkles you need to be concerned about removing and how laser treatment can improve your appearance. Read on to learn more on ipl face treatment and does ipl tighten skin.
Ipl Laser For Wrinkles
Before we get into all the reasons why an IPL photofacial is great, let’s cover the basics. For starters, an IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) therapy is used to treat sun damage, wrinkles, stretch marks and age spots. IPL is also known as photorejuvenation or photofacial. Treatments are performed at med spas and doctor’s offices and can be used to erase mild sun damage, brown spots, freckles or irregular pigmentation on the face, neck, or even chest.
Alternatively, IPL treatments can also be used for hair reduction but multiple treatments may be necessary. However, the benefits are worth every penny, so long as they are performed by a licensed and experienced skin care specialist. Here are 9 reasons why you should consider getting an IPL Photofacial today and never look back.
Reason #1: It can be done anywhere
Most users tend to start on the facial area but once they start to see the results, they tend to travel to other problem areas of the skin like the neck, shoulders and chest. With IPL treatments anywhere that you have skin or skin problems is an area that photofacial rejuvenation can fix.
Reason #2: Can help repair small blood vessels
If you have small blood vessels that have become visible, enhance sunspots or cause other irregularities in pigmentation, IPL is a great solution to help clear the skin.
Reason #3: Helps control acne
If you suffer from severe acne and experience issues combating the redness and inflammation caused by acne, IPL treatments can help. IPL can help eliminate large pores and thus reduce the appears of acne on your skin without the need to constantly apply topical products that dry out the skin.
Reason #4: Reduces skin redness
If you suffer from rosacea or any other type of skin condition that diffuses redness into the skin, IPL photofacial therapy is a great treatment solution for reducing the appearance of redness and helping create an even and natural complexion.
Reason #5: Minimizes signs of aging
While IPL isn’t necessarily an anti-aging solution, it does have lasting effects in helping reduce the signs of aging such as wrinkles, sunspots and other indicators of aging. By treating a deeper layer of the skin, IPL stimulates collagen growth and helps improve the skin’s texture, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Reason #6: Lower cost solution
While most skin treatments are extremely expensive, IPL photofacial treatments often cost less than laser treatments and also provide results for the long-term, unlike a regular facial.
Reason #7: Allows for additional treatment
Another great benefit of IPL photorejuvenation procedures is that they can be done in conjunction with other treatments such a microdermabrasion, chemical peels and other facial skin treatments that target the outermost layer of the skin. Since IPL treatments target the deeper layers of the skin, they can safely be performed with other treatments that target the outmost layer of skin.
Reason #8: It’s quick and easy
The issue with most facial treatments these days is that they’re time consuming and have downtime. With IPL treatments, each photofacial procedure can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes maximum, so it can easily fit into the busy lifestyle of today’s go getters. The other great benefit of IPL treatments is that you can go right back to whatever you were doing before the procedure, as there is no downtime to follow. No need to miss work or have to skip on picking the kids up after school.
Reason #9: No Pain
While a small percentage of patients express feeling a slight sensation during the procedure, the other roughly 90% of patients have no pain at all during the IPL photofacial treatments. If you do experience a slight discomfort, applying a topical anesthetic 60 minutes prior to the procedure can easily reduce this.
Next Steps
Learn more about IPL facials and the other laser treatments we offer. If you already know that IPL treatments are the solution for you, give us a call today at and schedule your first appointment today. While we haven’t yet discovered the treatment for eternal youth, IPL photofacial treatments as basically as close as it gets for a youthful and flawless glow year round.
Does Ipl Tighten Skin
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and is a popular form of skin rejuvenation therapy that can help tackle the majority of skin-related concerns, including tightening lax skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
As we get older, our skin naturally loses elasticity and as skin becomes more lax, it becomes much easier for lines and wrinkles to form. These are some of the most typical signs of aging, but unsurprisingly, many people are unhappy to experience them and would like to do anything possible to try and delay looking older for as long as possible. Fortunately, there are a range of treatments that can help them achieve this, including IPL laser treatments.
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and is a popular form of skin rejuvenation therapy that can help tackle the majority of skin-related concerns, including tightening lax skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
What areas of the body can IPL laser treatment be used on?
Areas of the body that can be treated with IPL laser treatment include:
- Facial lines and wrinkles
- Loose, sagging jowls
- Sagging neck skin
- Deep lines running from nose to mouth
- General dull, lacklustre facial skin
How does IPL laser treatment work to improve skin?
IPL treatment is completely non-invasive and virtually painless since it only creates a small amount of heat. The laser uses high-intensity light energy which is focused on the skin and absorbed by it to create a therapeutic effect. The laser energy works deep within the skin to stimulate the production of collagen, which typically slows down with advancing age, and regeneration of the skin cells. Each session usually lasts less than an hour, and there is no downtime, meaning that you can get back to your usual activities right away following your treatment. IPL laser treatment is safe to be used on both the face and body.
Results from IPL laser treatment
The results of IPL laser treatment for skin tightening and wrinkle reduction aren’t immediate. It takes a number of months for new collagen to form, strengthening and tightening the skin so that it appears smoother, firmer and more youthful. Initial results are almost instant, as you may notice that your skin immediately looked brighter and fresher. These results will only continue to improve as collagen production increases and skin cells repair themselves. Optimal results can usually be seen between 8 and 12 weeks following treatment.
Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy is typically used for hair removal, but it can also be an effective way to reduce skin pigmentation issues. But how does it work and is at-home IPL for dark spots—i.e. the DIY option—a safe solution?
Whether you call them age spots, sun spots or just pesky annoyances, those dark spots on your complexion can be tough to get rid of. They’re caused by pigment-making cells called melanocytes that live under the surface of your skin. As your skin matures, or gets aggravated by sun exposure, those melanocytes get to work, producing melanin that leaves you with the appearance of dark spots.
So how exactly do you get rid of them? While you might have considered using at-home laser hair removal for, you know, actual hair removal—it’s also effective when it comes to erasing dark spots too.
We spoke with several skincare experts to learn more about how (and how well) intense pulsed light treatments help clear up pigmentation issues—and whether it’s something you should try at home.
WHAT IS AN IPL TREATMENT?
“IPL uses light energy at different specific wavelengths to treat many skin concerns,” explains Dr. Robert Morrell, M.D., founder and director of Medical Rejuvenation Centre(opens in new tab) and Di Morelli Skin Care(opens in new tab).
“It’s used for many therapeutic purposes due to the broad spectrum of wavelengths in IPL treatments,” he says. More specifically, IPL can be used to treat pigmentation, rosacea, veins, acne and hair removal, too.
HOW DOES IPL HELP REDUCE DARK SPOTS?
As Dr. Morrell explains, “IPL works to fade dark spots by selectively heating up the brown color with a band of light specific for brown pigment. Typically, these spots will become coffee-like granules that will shed off on the surface of the skin in five to seven days.”
When the light penetrates your skin, the targeted heat zaps only the spots with excess melanin, and leaves the rest alone. It works to eliminate the pigmentation that you see toward the surface of your skin so that you can naturally slough off or exfoliate those cells.
Unfortunately, IPL doesn’t permanently stop or remove melanocytes from producing melanin, so your dark spots will likely return in time. However, a lot of women see significant reductions in visible dark spots after professional treatments.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF USING AN IPL LASER AT HOME?
So if getting IPL done in a professional setting works well on dark spots, can we try at-home IPL for dark spots? Using this kind of advanced technology at home sounds like risky business—and, according to the experts we consulted, it is.
“In the last few years, there has been a rapid increase in home light devices that have had very little testing,” says plastic, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Simone Matousek(opens in new tab). “Home IPL devices are unregulated and should not be used for management of pigmentation, or any skin problems,” she advises.
Both doctors noted that these DIY devices aren’t really strong enough to produce significant results. In fact, they can actually cause “darkening of pigmentation, as the intensity of home IPL units is too weak,” says Dr. Morrell. “And, if the intensity is stronger, there is a possibility of burns.”
So, zapping your skin with an at-home IPL device might actually worsen your unwanted dark spots, by making them even darker.
“Even in the hands of trained medical practitioners, an IPL device can cause side effects,” adds Dr. Matousek. Clinical trials(opens in new tab) have found that these can include redness, rashes, blistering, swelling, and hypopigmentation—patches of skin lightening—in addition to dark spots. If powerful IPL technology is misused, it can even lead to eye injuries and scarring.
AT-HOME IPL VS PROFESSIONAL IPL
If you’re comparing at-home IPL devices against professional-grade equipment, the latter will always be safer and more sophisticated.
“The more high-end IPL devices that are operated in medical practices are more tunable, have more precise targeting of skin problems, and are safer in darker skin types. Medical-grade broadband light is one such device, and is more effective and has inbuilt cooling to make it safe,” explains Dr. Matousek.
She continued, “At-home devices will likely be too weak to have any real impact, as any manufacturer would be worried about the potential of being sued. The machines that will actually have a real impact on skin problems are way more powerful than is safe for any consumer to use.”
Moreover, despite how easy at-home IPL for dark spots might sound, managing pigmentation concerns isn’t as simple as zapping your skin a few times. According to Dr. Matousek, “It requires correct topical medication before and after such treatments; some of these can only be prescribed by a doctor.”
So, if an at-home IPL product promises to clear up dark spots in no time—without any medical oversight, topical treatment, or training—it’s probably too good to be true.
HOW TO USE IPL TO TREAT DARK SPOTS
If you want to proceed with an IPL treatment for dark spots, “You should always go see a professional; do not try it at home,” advises Dr. Morrell.
The price tag for professional treatment might be higher, but experts advise against trying a DIY device as a way to cut costs on skincare.
As Dr. Matousek suggests, “Going to a trained plastic surgeon or dermatologist, having a proper skin assessment and treatment plan, and getting effective, evidence-based therapies is a far better use of time and money than buying a home device. There’s a reason the best lasers and light devices cost hundreds and thousands of dollars; they require precise engineering and regular checkups and tuning to keep your skin safe.”
CAN I STILL USE AN AT-HOME IPL FOR HAIR REMOVAL?
So, what if you’re already using an at-home IPL device for hair removal? Is that still safe?
These at-home devices aren’t suitable for treating skin pigmentation concerns, but they can be useful when it comes to hair removal.
Gia Jurosky, director of influencer marketing and brand strategy at RoseSkinCo(opens in new tab), a brand that makes an at-home IPL handset, notes that they are not intended as a treatment for your complexion. “While IPL can be used to treat acne scars, melasma, and other concerns, we recommend the devices for long-term hair removal,” she says. “Someone looking for an IPL skin treatment should consult a physician beforehand.”
Ipl Face Treatment
IPL treatment, or intense pulsed light therapy, is a cosmetic procedure to improve the skin’s texture. The goal is to give your skin a clearer and more even, youthful look. IPL therapy treats a range of skin pigment and blood vessel issues on areas such as your: Face.
IPL therapy uses many wavelengths to fix unwanted skin pigment conditions or vein changes.
The light waves pass through the top layer of skin (epidermis) to the targeted lesion, either pigmented or vascular.
In IPL treatment for pigment issues:
- The light heats the pigment cells and destroys them.
- The lesions could appear darker for a few weeks after treatment.
- The pigment cells then will either flake off or break down to let the body absorb them naturally.
In IPL therapy to treat blood vessel problems:
- Wavelengths heat the blood supply in the vessel.
- The heat causes the blood to thicken in the vessel walls and hinder circulation.
- The tiny veins collapse, letting the body absorb them.
For most skin conditions, you’ll need 3 to 6 treatments about a month apart. Spacing out appointments gives your skin time to heal.
Hair removal may take 6 to 12 IPL treatments.
IPL Therapy Side Effects
Most people have minimal discomfort and heal quickly after IPL treatment.
You’ll likely have some redness, which can last between an hour to a few days. Patients rarely experience swelling.
Other possible, but less common side effects of IPL therapy include:
- Blistering
- Bruising
- Changes to skin color (usually short term)
- Crusting
What Results Can I Expect From IPL Treatments?
Results vary based on your skin tone.
IPL treatment has the best results for people who have lighter skin tones. If you have darker skin tones, it may not be the best option for treating your pigment, vein, or other skin issues.
Our highly trained staff will review expected results with you before you have the treatment.
Before IPL Treatment: Making Sure It’s Right For You
Before you have IPL therapy, you’ll meet with one of the experts at UPMC Plastic Surgery who will:
- Look at your skin.
- Ask you about your overall health.
- Talk to you about what to expect from IPL treatment and what results you’re likely to see.
How to get your skin ready for IPL treatment
Here’s what you’ll need to do a few days or weeks before each appointment to prep your skin for treatment:
- Avoid self-tanners, sunbathing and tanning for 2 weeks before treatment.
- Avoid waxing, chemical peels, or cosmetic injections for 1 week before treatment.
- Stop taking antibiotics for at least 1 week before treatment.
- Do not wear lotions the day of treatment.
- Do not take aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, or herbal supplements the day of your treatment as these may increase some risks.
What to Expect During IPL Treatment
When you arrive, a licensed aesthetician or physician assistant will:
- Clean your skin around the treatment area.
- Apply a cooling gel to your skin.
- Give you glasses to protect your eyes during treatment.
Next, our highly trained technicians will apply the intense pulse light. Most people say it feels like a sting, much like someone snapping you with a rubber band.
Your therapy will last about 20 to 30 minutes.
Recovery After IPL Treatment
Your skin may look red after treatment, but rarely does swelling occur. You can return to your normal routine right away.
After treatment:
- It may feel like you have a mild sunburn for a few hours. You can use a cooling gel pack or cold compress to soothe the skin.
- Your skin may feel sensitive for a few days.
- Call our office if you have any problems or questions.
What are at-home IPL devices?
IPL stands for intense pulsed light, the form of scattered light that these handheld tools give off. “These are devices that emit a wide spectrum of light to treat the skin,” says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The technology is similar to but different from laser hair removal. “Technically [IPL devices] are not lasers since lasers emit only a single wavelength of light,” while IPL emits multiple wavelengths, explains Dr. Zeichner. (Related: Everything You Need to Know About Trying Laser Hair Removal at Home)
IPL can be used to treat brown spots or broken capillaries and redness in addition to its application in reducing hair production. “Different filters are used to limit the light that is delivered by the device to offer a customized treatment that addresses your particular need,” says Dr. Zeichner.
“[IPL] uses a big [dose] of light to capture certain targets in the skin,” says Azadeh Shirazi, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at La Jolla Laser Dermatology. “In terms of hair removal, the target would be melanin.” (Reminder: Melanin is a natural pigment in your skin and hair.) When the goal is hair removal, IPL devices are filtered to emit light at a wavelength of 600 to 700 nanometers, which can selectively heat and destroy melanin without heating the surrounding skin, she explains. When the light heats the melanin in a hair follicle, that causes the strand of hair to fall out and kills the hair follicle, thereby decreasing regrowth. (Although it takes multiple sessions to achieve full results, which only ever amounts to a reduction of hair growthrather than permanently eliminating new growth, according to Dr. Shirazi.)
Home IPL devices — e.g. Kenzzi, SmoothSkin, and Braun IPL devices — use the same technology at lower energies compared to what the pros use, according to Dr. Zeichner. Of course, that comes with a tradeoff. “The IPL devices in the office are obviously going to be a lot more powerful and hopefully are being used by trained professionals, whereas the IPL devices at home are going to be much weaker in terms of the amount of energy that they’re able to deliver so the results aren’t going to be as good,” says Dr. Shirazi. That said, a small study on at-home IPL devices published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology reported a 78 percent reduction in amount of hair at the one-month mark and a 72 percent reduction after three months, with participants receiving biweekly treatments with an at-home device over the course of six weeks.
What are the perks of using at-home IPL devices?
You can use at-home IPL devices on any area of the body where hair is found, whether that means treating your facial hair or giving yourself a full Brazilian, according to Dr. Shirazi. Investing in an at-home IPL device can also save you money compared to in-office treatments. Home IPL devices typically cost around $150 to several hundred dollars, while the average cost of a single session of professional IPL cost roughly $412 in 2020, according to the ASPS report. Most people need six to 12 IPL treatments to achieve full results, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Then there’s the convenience factor. Switching to using an IPL at home will save you time if you normally shave. To give you an idea, Braun recommends using its Silk Expert Pro 5 once a week for four to 12 weeks, then every one to two months for maintenance. Taking matters into your own hands also eliminates any awkwardness you might feel around having a stranger treat your bikini area while you attempt to make small talk. (Related: How to Shave Your Bikini Area Without Causing Irritation)
What are the downsides of trying IPL at home?
IPL can be moderately painful. It also comes with potential side effects, which is one reason why Corey L. Hartman, M.D., F.A.A.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Birmingham, Alabama, finds the idea of putting the technology in the hands of non-professionals unsettling. When used improperly, IPL can cause “blistering, redness, scarring, discoloration, hyperpigmentation, pain, oozing, or crusting,” says Dr. Hartman. “IPL devices are not casual.”
“I’ve seen some terrible burns and terrible scarring from IPL done in the office and done at home,” echoes Dr. Shirazi. “It’s tricky because you’re playing around with energy and heat and if the skin absorbs all of that, you can certainly get a burn.”
Additionally, both IPL and laser devices have the potential to do the exact opposite of what you want. “If you use conservative settings or low energy settings of light to try to remove hair,” you can actually stimulate growth,says Dr. Shirazi. “You could end up with a condition called paradoxical hair stimulation from laser treatments. The low energy is not enough to chill the hair follicle, but it’s enough to stimulate the hair follicle to grow.” That’s why you may have heard of low-level laser-emitting caps designed to promote hair growth.
Another major downside? IPL isn’t well-suited to dark skin tones or light-colored hair. “IPL is high-risk for people with dark skin tones,” who naturally have more melanin, according to Dr. Shirazi. “What happens, as the light passes through it’s going to capture the melanin on the surface of the skin. The more melanin there is on the surface of the skin the more likely it is to absorb all the energy, and then you can end up with a burn.” IPL device brands often provide charts on their websites indicating which skin tones should avoid using their products altogether.
All in all, is at-home IPL worth trying?
The experts interviewed for this story were divided on whether at-home IPL is worthwhile or even okay to try. If you buy an at-home IPL device, you can assume that it uses lower energy than professional devices, making it safe to use at home, says Dr. Zeichner. “The biggest potential risk associated with using IPL devices is the development of hyperpigmentation,” he says. “This risk is very low with at-home devices because of the safety measures put in place that allow them to be used without professional supervision.”
Not everyone gives at-home IPL devices a thumbs up. Any IPL device will be either be able to “really do some harm” or they’ll be ineffective, and that there’s no in-between, says Dr. Hartman. “I don’t understand at-home IPL devices,” he says. “I’m scared of them. I do not recommend.”