IPL or Intense Pulsed Light Therapy - The Gentle Alternative for Wrinkles

Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen

Laser treatments have come a long way since they first appeared
in the mid nineties. IPL - also called Flashlamp, MultiLight or
Photo Laser - can perform minor miracles on sun damaged skin
(photoaging) anywhere on the body, but most significantly on the
face and hands.

IPL is a safer option than tradition laser resurfacing and is
commonly used for facial hair removal, removal of birth marks
and even tattoo removal. What we are mainly concerned with here,
however, is skin resurfacing. Skin resurfacing can eliminate
fine lines, spider veins and pigmentation and significantly
reduce deep lines and acne scarring.

Broad spectrum light is a lot more gentle on the skin and the
risk of burning or blistering is significantly reduced. So much
so that IPL can even be used for the treatment of redness and
rosacea. Many patients have also noticed a reduction in pore
size and a smoother skin.

The benefits are ongoing too. IPL stimulates the skin to produce
more collagen, plumping out the skin and making it appear
younger.

IPL usually needs more that a single treatment and may need four
and as many as six treatments for the full effect to be
realized. Because of this, there are no "dramatic" effects after
one treatment which makes it a great alternative for those who
don't want to be conspicuous.

For this reason it's very popular with males who would rather
die than admit to any form of facial rejuvenation!

Because the treatments are gentle, there is also minimal, if
any, down time. Wonderful for those busy people on the go.

IPL is also much safer for dark skinned people than traditional
laser treatments as it doesn't cause as much loss of pigment,
although this is still a risk.

The deeper the treatment, the more the benefits are increased,
but this has to be balanced against the increased risk of
burning. Always select an experienced practitioner and ask to
see photos.

Side effects? A pink face for a while and possible loss of
pigment in the deeper IPL treatments. You will need to treat
your skin gently and use a high UV sunscreen (15+ or more)

IPL will not work on natural aging such as sagging skin. Only a
face lift or neck lift can improve this. There is a non surgical
procedure called "thermage" which may help and of course the
"thread lift" which is gaining in popularity and which will give
some "lifting" effect.