"Intense" treatment for "Intensed" results

Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment or Sapphire Light continues to be a popular choice for skin rejuvenation and enhancing the skin tone, and have proven to be particularly effective for treating age spots, freckles and acne scars.

IPL treatments are performed using a handheld device that delivers a broad spectrum of light onto the skin’s surface. The wavelengths of light penetrate deep into the skin tissue to stimulate the fibroblast cells beneath the skin’s surface, and triggers the body’s ‘purging’ response so that it eliminates injured tissues and dead skin cells that may be stuck deep within the skin’s surface. The IPL skin care treatments are typically conducted as a series of treatments at four weeks intervals, and the skin begins to take on a more youthful and clear appearance even after one treatment.

If you’ve been looking for a non-invasive solution for freshening up your skin and enjoying a more even skin tone, consider these benefits and drawbacks of the innovative IPL treatment.

IPL procedures do not require any anesthetic cream. The painless (or rubber band hitting the skin) procedure also does not require any downtime, which means patients can receive their treatment over lunch hour or any other break, resuming regular activities shortly after treatment. IPL treatments can be used to correct and refine nearly all skin types, and are particularly effective for treating:

Freckles
Age spots
Hyperpigmentation
Rosacea
Spider veins
Birthmarks
Sun spots
Acne scars
Permanent hair reduction

Nevertheless, the intensive light can cause slight redness in the treatment area (pigmented areas especially). However, any redness or soreness typically subsides within a few hours after the procedure. Hypo-pigmentation is another concern associated with IPL treatments, and is most common in those with darker skin tones. Hypo-pigmentation is the lightening of the skin, and can occur within a few hours after treatment. Typically, people with skin type four and five have to be monitored carefully.