Winter is an important time to step up your skincare and make some improvements in your skin health. While cosmetic doctors spend the warmer months preaching about the damaging effects of sun rays, we change our tune when speaking of wavelengths of light that help to rejuvenate your skin. That’s right…some light waves can be used to provide the skin a “second chance” for good health! These rejuvenating waves are isolated from broad spectrum light and applied to the skin through a process known as Intense Pulsed Light or IPL.

Rejuvenating your skin with light

The technology behind Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) provides doctors with another tool to reduce imperfections of the skin including those that appear as we age. IPL is a very popular cosmetic procedure because it is well tolerated, does not require downtime for healing, and it provides for noticeable results. While the benefits of IPL may be similar to various combinations of traditional rejuvenating procedures, the affordability of this technology is attractive to the busy person who does not have the luxury of time for multiple appointments or prolonged recovery.

Many common skin blemishes are effectively treated with IPL. These include broken capillaries that appear as a purple or red unsightly web around the cheeks and nose. IPL can also diminish the appearance of raised birth marks known as strawberry hemangiomas (sacs of red, purple or blue blood vessels resembling a blister), flat birth marks, and port wine stains. Most commonly we are helping concerned patients rid themselves of freckles, sun damage, and the variety of pigmented blemishes described as “age spots” and “liver spots.” Episodic or continuous redness of the skin such as found in rosacea, has also been shown to respond to a combination of IPL wavelengths. In addition to the reduction or removal of many of these skin blemishes, many patients provide anecdotal reports of reduction in pore size, rough skin, and fine wrinkles!

How it works

After a consultation, a your doctor should advise you on approximately how many treatments will be necessary to achieve your goal for skin appearance. It may take three to six treatments to clear age spots and vessels. The treatments are generally spaced around 4 weeks apart and a full treatment of the face rarely takes over twenty minutes to perform. IPL can be performed on the chest, back, neck, and arms, though the healing time in areas off of the face is a bit longer. You will remain comfortable over the healing period, however, and those areas can be covered by winter clothing styles. Some patients do multiple IPL treatments in the winter when skin is less tan. This decreases the risk of excess energy absorption that can occur with tan or dark skins. So the diminished sun exposure of winter provides an ideal time for skin rejuvenation treatments like IPL.

The Experience

Before you receive an IPL treatment, a soothing gel is applied to your skin to cool the epidermis and provide even transmission of the filtered light. Next a cool glass light guide is placed over the treatment area and a pulse of filter light is triggered. The flash of filtered light through the prism is directed at the target and has been describe as “ the snap of a hot rubberband.” Your initial treatment may not be as aggressive as following treatments so that improvements in skin condition can be achieved. This will then determine the skin’s tolerance for more intensive treatment.

Recovery and Reward

For vein, vessel or rosacea treatment, the skin looks slightly redder after the treatment for two to five days. Rarely, there is bruising, however if it occurs it may take 1-2 weeks to resolve. For freckles and age spots, the spots generally look darker for 3-7 days. Although rare, crusting can occur, which may last a few days. The pigment will then clear and gradually resolve within a week. Most patients find that makeup or concealer may be used starting right after the treatment, as long as it is applied and removed very gently. IPL treatments can be done over a lunch break! Since there is no real downtime you may resume your normal activities immediately after treatment, however you must protect your treatment area from UV light –both natural and artificial. You may be slightly pink or red directly after your treatment as well as have mild swelling. This should subside in a few days.

Using the rejuvenating applications of IPL, we achieve results that make a patient happy. Many of them were unaware of the cumulative skin damage they had suffered, until they see the results of “skin cleanup.” Smooth, moist, thick and reflective skin are the features we recognize in healthy skin. If you are interested in improving the condition of your skin, you may want to find out more about IPL and have your treatments over the winter. Imagine how fresh Spring will feel!

Watch video of Dr. Hester’s medical staff performing IPL: http://video.about.com/spas/See-a-Photo-Facial.htm

by Paul Hester, MD