App & Treatments Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked QuestionsShow all

IPL Hair Removal System

What person can enjoy the treatment?Hide

Laser is a single color of light: Red light for Diode Lasers, which means all the rays are the same wavelength. There are a number of different lasers used for hair removal. Their effectiveness varies with what the wavelength is. Some lasers are very effective, others are not so good, which is why one hears a lot of variation in results. Intense Pulsed Light is broad spectrum light, made up of a range of wavelengths and colors. This range means one can treat more hair types effectively, with more consistent results. Besides removing hair from face and all body areas, Intense Pulsed Light has other uses. It can treat sun damage, pigmentation on face, hands and chests, small blood vessels and diffuse redness found on the face and chest.

I have some unsightly sunspots on my hands. What can I do about them?Hide

This is where Intense Pulsed Light systems are superior to lasers, as they can offer more than one type of treatment. Intense Pulsed Light utilizes a range of wave lengths [laser has only a single wavelength], which enables it to respond to hair color, small red blood vessels and pigmentation irregularities in the skin due to sun damage. The hand piece is placed on the skin over the sunspots or other pigmentation and a bright flash of light is released. This light is absorbed by the pigmented area, which will go even darker over the next few hours. The area will look a bit “dirty” or dark for about a week, then it will slough off leaving clear fresh new skin. Often only one treatment is necessary to create a stunning difference. This treatment is not only very effective for those aging, unsightly-looking sunspots on hands, but is excellent for irregular pigmentation on face, neck, etc...

How does it compare with Laser hair removal?Hide

Laser hair removal has many of the same benefits as intense pulsed light hair removal. Operating a laser, however, often requires more expertise than operating an intense pulsed light system. Treatments are faster with an IPL system and a lot safer.

How does Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal compare with waxing?Hide

Intense pulsed light hair removal is faster, more comfortable, produces longer-lasting results, and can treat hair before it becomes visible. Additionally, hair grows back more slowly after intense pulsed light treatments and is thinner and lighter in color.

What body areas can be treated?Hide

Almost any area of the body can be treated: the legs, back, upper lip, chin, underarms, back of the neck, bikini line, etc.

How long does the hair stay gone?Hide

Hair may never return at all. The exact amount of time that the hair stays gone depends on the area being treated, the settings selected by the technician, and individual hair and skin factors. Depending on the settings used by the technician in accordance with the patient request, hair removal may either be permanent or for a certain period of time (4-5-6 months)

What is IPL Laser?Hide

IPL stands for "Intense Pulsed Light". The are not lasers. Without getting into too much laser physics, lasers use one specific type of light and IPL devices use many. For this reason, IPL machines are marketed to be able to do a bit of everything, sun spots, facial redness, wrinkles and collagen stimulation. While it is true that an IPL is capable of treating all these conditions, we prefer lasers instead because the single wavelength of light used by lasers means they are more specific to the condition being treated. In many cases, we see practitioners that are using IPL devices do so because they are averse to purchasing 3-4 lasers because of the expense. It's the difference between purchasing a printer, fax, copier (the IPL) and purchasing the best printer, the best fax machine and the best copier (three different types of lasers).

How much does IPL cost?Hide

IPL is great for treating age spots, general red tones on the face, and broken capillaries. Anywhere from 1 to 3 treatments are necessary, and may be done 4 weeks apart. For a 15 minute session on the face, the cost is $150.

IPL laser - skin treatmentHide

IPL treatments are definitely an option for facial redness but pulsed dye laser treatments are the gold standard for any vascular condition like the one described. IPL is much less powerful and specific when it comes to targeting only the blood vessels that cause the redness.

How long does it take for IPL hyperpigmentation to peel off?Hide

Usually the dark spots after the IPL treatment get progressively darker over the next several days. You should notice this gradual increase in pigmentation. Some call it "coffee grounds". You should see it gradually coming to the surface and peeling off over the next week or two.

What is IPL recovery like?Hide

In most cases, patients can return immediately to work or school after an IPL treatment. Redness and mild swelling may exist after treatment depending on how aggressive the treatment settings are and which skin type you are. Even though you may be able to return directly to work, it may be noticeable that you have had something done. I think that is why there is such a large variation in the "recovery" time among the physicians that have answered this question. Especially in the case of sun damage, it can take a period of several weeks for sun damage to flake off and during this time period, the darkened spots could be reason to stay home from work and/or out of the sun. In this sense, it may be reviewed as recovery time, even though it's perfectly reasonable to do to work during this time.

What is the difference between IPL treatment and IPL Photofacial?Hide

It's interesting that the two categories have very different satisfaction levels on this site, we would not have guessed that.

IPL stands for "Intense Pulsed Light" and the term is generally used to refer to a physical piece of equipment.  "Intense Pulsed Light" is the type of light used by these pieces of equipment (there are many different manufacturers. 

"Photofacial" (fotofacial) is generally used to describe a light based (laser or IPL) facial treatment to address sun spots, redness or fine lines.

In some cases these terms are used interchangeably (I had an IPL treatment today), but will be able to keep them straight if you just think of a light based piece of equipment as an IPL and a light based treatment as the photofacial.

Is IPL effective for reducing enlarged pores?Hide

We do not use IPL for reducing pore size. In fact, of all the lasers that we have at our practice (we use more than 20), we have found that the best one for reducing pore size is the q-switched Hoya Conbio Medlite C6. In conducting trials related to Melasma treatment with the Medlite C6, we have noticed a tremendous improvement in the texture of the skin.  This included greatly reduced pore size after 4-6 high energy Medlite treatments over a 4 week period.

In addition to the Medlite laser treatments, any continued and prolonged exfoliation techniques such as glycolic acid products, Retin A, Microdermabrasion and even manual soap scrubs will help remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin and improve pore size.

White pimple-like blisters after IPL Hide

The blisters you are describing - if they are very small - may be pustules associated with acne Rosacea. Have you been diagnosed with Rosacea or Acne Rosacea? If they are in fact associated with Acne Rosacea, we would highly recommend switching to pulsed dye laser treatments instead of IPL. The IPL treatments may have caused a bit of irritation which may have triggered the acne Rosacea outbreak, but it is difficult to say without seeing what they look like up close.

Will IPL side effects eventually go away?Hide

1.  Hyperpigmentation from Burns. Hyperpigmentation is a darkening of the skin caused by trauma.  For light skin types this type of coloration normally goes away on it's own. If it persists for you, there are two options we use, hydroquinone bleaching cream and q-switched lasers.  If using q-switched lasers, make sure the practitioner is extremely experienced as you are treating a trauma scar with more light, which can be tricky.

2.  White Hypopigmented scars. There is no easy solution for this. We hope they will resolve on their own. If not, you may want to look into Excimer lasers. These are the lasers used to treat Vitiligo and they can help with repigmentation, but it is a slow (and many times temporary) process.

3.  Pock Like indentations. Were you heavily scabbed after the burns?  Are these pock marks in the same location as the burn? If so, they will probably not go away on their own and you may need to consider some form of laser resurfacing to help (Erbium, fractionated, etc).

4.  Loose Skin. Did you have your neck treated? You only reference a facial treatment and not the neck. In any event, we do not know of a laser treatment that would cause the neck skin to loosen. Usually it would be the other way around with light based treatments improving skin laxity.

Is IPL hair removal same as laser hair removal?Hide

No these terms are often used interchangeably, but they mean two different procedures.

I.P.L. stands for Intense Pulsed Light.

L.A.S.E.R. has become a word but actually stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

Individuals respond differently to these modalities, which can be effected by pigmentation, hair density and color. 

Is IPL or laser best for facial hair removal? Hide

Lena, the honest answer is that the fine light hair on your face will probably not go away with either method as "peach fuzz" as it is commonly referred to is not a good candidate for laser hair removal because of the lack of color. If the hair has some color and coarseness, we would suggest laser treatments as IPL machines are less precise and less powerful than lasers for hair removal.  

Ipl - happy with results on sun damageHide

People Wake Up!!! Do Not Do Fraxel or IPL!! A member here spent her last two years researching and trying to warn the public and make the FDA aware of the dangerous adverse effects of these devices. May she rest in peace, knowing that she has already saved 1000's from this horrific fate and will continue to save 1000's more. She started the fight, and now there are others willing to continue the fight in her honor. My damage was caused by IPL 6 months ago. Fraxel and IPL seem to be causing the same damage. (Thermage nightmare?) I have fat loss in my entire face, eyelids, cheeks, jaw line, along with scars, bumps in my skin, vision problems, pain in cheek, jaw and brestbone (my chest was done also), broken blood vessesl and more! There are suppose to be NO Burns, NO fat loss, NO permanent scaring, NO eye problems, No permanent redness, NO hypopigmentation,NO depression with IPL or Fraxel!! That is what the medical community around the states are telling their patients. Doctors are lying to you! Dermatologists are lying to you! Plastic Surgeons are lying to you. Nurses and Aestheticians are lying to you! Medical Boards are lying to you! Manufactures are lying to you! The FDA and the Government are lying to you! They are only interested in protecting this Billion Dollar industry, and do not care about the severe damage it has caused to 1000's of people. These procedures are the new "CASH COW" for the industry and the manufacturers and doctors will go to great lengths to keep this from the public. The people that did these procedures will tell you, "these devices couldn't have done this damage, they don't go deep enough in to the skin---they don't cause fat loss, they don't get hot enough---oh the burn scars will go away in two years--you had eye protection on, you can't have eye problems-----and the biggest lie, it's natural aging causing your skin to sag and face to lose volume! These are the lies I am hearing in every damage case. NO ONE prematurely ages 10-20 years in the matter of 4 Months. Question your doctors about that. Ask him how much extra revenue he is making a year by adding this device to his practice and then paying poorly trained nurses and estheticians to do the damage. And yes, for the Professional Doctors and Plastic Surgeons who have caused this damage, you are a disgrace, with criminal intentions, who took a vow "do no harm, patient safety first" but turned it into "admit no fault, offer no help, just collect the cash and run" I would never wish this on my own worst enemy, yet I can only hope that this would happen to doctors wives, daughters, sisters, or mothers, so then you would understand the torment and hell you have put us all in, a life of disfigurement, isolation, financial distress, and emotional and psychological torture. And offering no help to any of us! Are there any real doctors out there that actually care about people, if so, please stand up! We need you. As for the doctors who respond on this site, you owe these members the truth. One doctor will comment this can happen and the next comments it cannot. One month a doctor comments it is IPL burns and two months later they tell someone else it is not. (I have read all of your comments on IPl and fraxel damage and I took notes, and now months later when I checked, some of those comments are missing--the ones that believe IPL caused this, how convenient) You all know the truth, it's in your seminars, lectures you attend, on doctors discussion boards, and if you don't know the facts, either research it or don't comment. You are jeopardizing hundreds of members by telling them these devices are safe. Could it only be to try to harness more cosmetic business? Would you put your own loved ones in harms way if you weren't sure whether they would be damaged or not because you were not warned beforehand of possible permanent DNA damage to your skin? I bet not. No, these results don't happen to everyone, but to more than enough and that number is growing, by 40 percent according the the AAD in 2009. There is tons of research out there proving these machines cause this. Even papers from the FDA discussing adverse events about botox and injectibles and how long should they allow this to continue especially since the damage is happening to healthy people! There are hundreds of victims on various sites telling their stories of burns, fat loss, vision problems, hypo scaring, etc. There are serious side effects happening, most irreversible, that doctors, esthetians and the manufacturers are NOT telling us about. TAKE PICTURES, THEY DO NOT LIE, KEEP TAKING PICTURES, THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT PROOF! People need to start making noise to get attention drawn to this epidemic of damage. These devices are in every town now, and unless everyone that has been damages speaks up, hundreds of thousands of people will be victimized by this in the future. Please, lets help each other

Dark reddish purple stripes after ipl fotofacialHide

Help, I had an IPL Friday in a dermatologist's office with years of experience. I have type II skin. I now have stripes on my cheek on one side and red/purple under my chin. I saw the Dr today, and was told that I had burns which is very unusual with this IPL and a blonde haired green eyed lady with minimal discomfort during the procedure. I was given Biafine, Protopic, Aquafor, and told to stay out of the sun and wear lots of sunscreen. I am petrified that this will last a long time or be permanent.

The office was clean and very busineslike. I was treated by the physcian personally. Minimal discomfort during the procedure. No complaints at all.

IPL vs. Photofacial - What's the difference?Hide

Photofacial is a generic term for any light-based therapy that improves the appearance of the skin with no downtime.

IPL is Intense Pused Light, a non-laser light that helps red spots, dark spots and rosacea.

So, IPL is a way to perform photofacial.

Hypopigmentation and burns from IPL Hide

It would appear to me that someone was way too aggressive in determining the appropriate settings that you were treated with. Hypopigmentation cannot be treated although time has a way of blending pigmentation and sometimes in a year or so some of the pigmentation may return.

Ipl seems to be working for me... Hide

I decided to try IPL after a friend of mine got a series of 5 treatments and looked incredible. Her sunspots cleared up, and her skin tone became even and fresh looking. Although I'm only 31 years old, my skin has prematurely aged due to sun overexposure. (Now use SPF 30 daliy, as of a year ago when i started to notice the fine lines and sun spots)

Anyway I had one treatment and i can already tell the difference. The brown spots have gotten much lighter, and i can now cover them with make up.

on the plus side, it's not too painful, and it only took about 5 days to fully heal.

on the down side it it's 400.00 a session and i'm scheduled to have at least 3. Also, she did burn me accidentally. the burn formed a blister on my chin, and it looked terrible. a week later it's healing nicely and looks like it wont scar. Either way it was worth it to me. My face just looks brighter, with a much more even skin tone already.

i'll keep you posted after my next treatment.

What is the feeling when the hair removal by IPL.Hide

IPL is a very gentle way. Do not use anesthetic. Coated in the treatment of cold gel region, a mosaic crystal in the IPL treatment head as smooth as glass in the cold gel over mobile. Each flash, you may feel a little trapped feeling, similar to pull off the rubber band with a flip in the skin, some clients even fall asleep during treatment.

IPL Hair Removal

Acne (Severe) with Photodynamic TherapyHide

Acne (Severe) with Photodynamic TherapyHide