Unsightly birthmarks, spider veins on the face and legs, age spots, sun spots, freckles, and unsightly excess hair affect millions of people. While these may not be medical problems, many of our patients would like to be rid of these unattractive distractions to their natural beauty.
Advanced IPL treatments are performed by our doctor for patients in our region to safely, easily, and effectively treat many benign pigmented and vascular skin lesions painlessly on an out-patient basis.
What are vascular and pigmented lesions?
Skin blemishes due to abnormal blood vessels located directly under your skin's surface that give the skin a red color are called vascular lesions. Pigmented lesions are caused by a proliferation of melanocytes in the skin. Melanocytes contain the cells that manufacture melanin, which is the dark pigment in skin.
How do IPL treatments work?
IPL treatments are performed with a non-invasive medical system that uses intense pulsed light therapy to reduce melanin, the dark pigment in your skin.
The light energy is gently delivered to your skin in pulses, through a delicate, computer-controlled handpiece. After your IPL treatment, the treated vein, lesion or hair will gradually fade and slowly disappear.
What conditions can IPL treat?
- Freckles
- Age Spots (Lentigos)
- Sun Spots (Solar Lentigos)
- Cafe au Lait Macules (Birthmarks)
- Seborrheic Keratoses
- Hyperpigmentation
- Port Wine Stains
- Rosacea
- Spider Veins (Face and Legs)
Can IPL treatments remove unwanted hair?
Yes. IPL treatments can remove unwanted hair from any part of your body. The pigment in your hair's follicle absorbs the light energy from the IPL. This destroys the follicle so that it cannot grow. However, your hair grows in cycles, and only the hair that is visible can be treated. As a result, multiple treatments will be required for optimal results. Our patients love IPL treatments because once a follicle is destroyed, it will never grow again!
Are IPL treatments safe?
Yes. IPL systems have been used successfully in hundreds of thousands of treatments. IPL allows your doctor to customize each treatment to your specific skin type and condition being treated. This flexible, interactive approach to treatment cannot be reached using any other non-invasive treatment currently available.
Do IPL treatments hurt?
Some patients say they feel a slight sting, like the snap of a rubber band on the skin, followed by the feeling of sunburn. However, anesthetics are not necessary.
There are several benefits to IPL treatments:
- little, if any, pain
- no anesthetic needed
- little bruising or swelling
- no downtime
How many IPL treatments are required?
This depends on the size, location, depth and color of your lesion. Spider veins on the face and age spots generally do well with 1 - 2 treatments, while darker or deeper birthmarks may require additional treatments. Port wine stains, hemangiomas and leg veins usually experience satisfactory results from IPL treatments, although as many as 4 - 8 treatment sessions may be required. Each session usually lasts 15 - 20 minutes. Treatments should be placed 4 - 8 weeks apart to allow your body to remove the maximum amount of pigment cells. You will continue to see a lightening of your lesion after each treatment as your body disposes of the pigment cells.
What results can you expect from IPL treatments?
After our physician performs IPL treatments, most patients will see improvement in their vascular and pigmented lesions. The improvement can be quite dramatic. However, as with any medical procedure, there is always a possibility that only minor changes will occur and in rare cases there is no response.