Technology is a beautiful thing—medical advances mean more and more noninvasive options for improving your health with impressive results, and the latest development in cosmetic procedures is a treatment called Intense Pulsed Light therapy, often called IPL for short.
You might be surprised by how this new skin therapy works. Most of the time, we’re trying to protect our skin from certain waves of light, avoiding prolonged sun exposure that can damage the skin. However, IPL uses broad-spectrum light to actually heal and repair some of those specific skin problems, including hyperpigmentation, sun damage, acne scars, rosacea, fine lines, and wrinkles.
You might’ve heard of IPL referred to as photorejuvenation or photofacial. High-intensity pulses of light are administered quickly via handheld device onto targeted areas of skin. Your skin’s chromophores—the part of your skin molecules that give your skin its color—absorb this light energy, generating heat and selectively damaging the targeted problem cells or structures while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed. The result is evened skin tone and improved texture, as well as reduced appearance of any blemishes or marks.
Specifically, doctors can use IPL to treat:
Rosacea: IPL can effectively reduce the persistent redness, flushing, and visible blood vessels often seen in cases of rosacea.
Acne: IPL targets the bacteria that causes acne and reduces inflammation, helping to clear skin and minimize the appearance of pimples or other blemishes.
Signs of Aging: IPL was not designed for wrinkle reduction, but some research points to the way it can stimulate collagen production, which naturally improves the firmness and tightness of your skin.
Unwanted Hair: By targeting follicles, IPL impairs their ability to grow hair, making it a safe and efficient alternative to traditional hair removal methods.
Early IPL devices saw the most success on people with fair to light skin tones, but recent developments in the technology have made the devices better suited for treating a wider range of skin types. It’s important to note, however, that patients should seek specific guidance for their skin type from their doctor, as certain skin tones face a higher risk of pigmentation changes.
As with other noninvasive cosmetic procedures, the success you have could vary—IPL won’t eliminate acne or rosacea, but it will provide significant aesthetic improvements. You could even say you’re headed “toward the light” for clearer, more vibrant skin!
