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What is Intense Pulsed Light?

By Jon Ellowitz | Published on August 26, 2009 | 0 Comments

What is IPL?

IPL stands for intense pulsed light. It’s a cosmetic treatment that’s also known as photorejuvenation. Don’t get IPL mixed up with all the different cosmetic laser treatments you’ve heard of.

IPL doesn’t use any laser light. IPL is in a class all it’s own. Check this out: Lasers use single-color wavelengths of light. IPL uses the entire spectrum of light. Depending on the treatment, different wavelengths are blocked so that they don’t enter the skin. That means that IPL treatment could be more useful than lasers to treat m ore skin disorders. That’s because different skin disorders can be treated with different wavelengths of light.

Let’s focus on two examples of treatments that IPL offers: hair removal and skin blemishes.

Hair removal: A xenon flash-lamp with focusing optics is aimed at specific parts of the skin the patient has identified for removing unwanted hair. The practitioner applies a broad spectrum of light to the skin using either a hand-held tool, or by controlling a mechanical arm.

Light travels through the skin, through the outer epidermis and into the dermis, striking the hairs’ roots. The light converts to heat energy and actually vaporizes the hair, the entire follicle, from the root up.

Skin blemishes: The filtered broad spectrum of light penetrates the skin tissue. In the case of treating vascular lesions, the light is absorbed by the blood. In the case of treating pigmented lesions, the light is absorbed by melanin.

These different targets are reached by filtering the broad spectrum of light.

On a small level, the tissue where the vascular or pigmented lesions are has been slightly injured from the IPL heat energy. So the body naturally removes that area of the skin and replaces it with new skin. That means the skin is new – and looks new, fresh, and blemish-free – where there were previously lesions.

Who’s it for?

Here’s a partial list of skin conditions that bring people to IPL treatment: sun damage, acne scars, broken capillaries, pigmentation marks, fine lines and wrinkles, a red complexion, sunspots, large pores, vascular lesions, and spider veins

Remember that IPL is known as photorejuvenation. Rejuvenation is the key word there: People want to look young again and to have the fresh, strong aura of youth.

The Pros and Cons

IPL is cheaper and faster than laser treatments. IPL is non-surgical and non-ablative, which means that it doesn’t damage the skin’s surface. However, it takes several treatments to get the desired results, and once you get those results, they don’t last forever – they last up to a year. Side effects include skin redness that can come and go, and increased or decreased pigmentation.

And IPL isn’t for everyone. It excludes those with lupus, dark skin complexions, dark tans, and those with porphyria (a blood disorder that makes people sensitive to light).

The Bottom Line

Intense pulsed light treatment can be a great alternative to laser treatment. IPL uses the full spectrum of light. One of its main drawbacks is its impermanence: Don’t expect the desired effects to last longer than a year.

*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

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