What is an IPL Treatment?

More and more people are becoming conscious of the treatments available to improve their looks. IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and aims at reviving youthful appearance.
The purpose of this treatment is to repair skin affected by photo aging or skin pigmentation caused by exposure to the sun. This technique is also used as photo rejuvenation for reducing redness caused due to broken capillaries.

High intensity light to repair skin:

IPL Treatment is a perfect method of treating a person on the go as it shows quick results and has minimal side effects. This gentle method uses broad spectrum light to repair skin damaged by sun exposure.
This technique directs polychromatic high intensity light just below the skin’s surface. Here it attacks melanin which is responsible for the dark spots or the blood vessels with broken capillaries. The skin ends up repairing itself which is evident by its new refreshed tone.

The IPL induces the production of collagen; this results in refreshing the skin by tightening pores. This treatment is now being used to remove hair.
The treatment is ideal for someone who has three conditions to be treated together- skin that has been exposed to sun, damaged capillaries and reduced skin firmness. It may be easy to think that IPL is a form of laser treatment, which it is not. It is also known as photo facial.

The method can take a few sessions with one month gap in between, to eventually discover the results. It has been touted as the best all purpose treatment.

The laser and the IPL:

This method scores over laser treatment which uses a beam of light of a specific wavelength to handle a condition. The laser is a technique that manages to treat only one condition at a time. It would require two different laser treatments to treat both age spots and broken capillaries.
The IPL is preferred by many as it uses non invasive techniques which do not affect the patient’s daily routine. Once the treatment is over and age spots removed, the signs are visible with the emergence of refreshed young skin. The treatment does not take long. This method is cheaper than a laser treatment and can treat more than one condition at a time.

Laser and the IPL can get uncomfortable as they both use some amount of intense heat and light. Everyone has a different tolerance depending upon the skin type.  A cooling gel maybe applied or the machine may come with a cooling gadget. You may think the pain may be minimal but be prepared for some amount of discomfort.

It is advisable to make yourself comfortable, get an idea of the procedure and any side effects. The IPL may not remove hair as well as a laser treatment does. People with dark skin can end up with hyper pigmentation. It does not remove tattoos. The operator has to administer the treatment carefully to avoid burning the skin. Make sure you have an experienced operator handling your treatment.