At Eternal Beauty Skin Care Clinic, we offer a skin rejuvenation and phototherapy treatment called the IPL photofacial. IPL stands for intense pulsed light and can eliminate the most common types of pigmentation from the skin that detracts from its natural beauty. With a customized photofacial treatment plan, we can help you achieve a uniform, vibrant, and healthy skin tone.
What Is an IPL Photofacial?
An IPL Photofacial is a form of phototherapy that uses light energy to rejuvenate and refresh the skin, specifically by targeting and eliminating discoloration. We use the Icon IPL MaxG device for our phototherapy treatments, a device known for its advanced IPL technology that can target discoloration and vascular abnormalities through a safe and effective treatment process.
What Are the Benefits of a Photofacial?
The Icon IPL MaxG photofacial device uses multiple wavelengths of intense pulsed light to address discolored and damaged skin cells, breaking them down and initiating a process that the body can then complete. One of the benefits is that it can target discolored skin cells without harming the surrounding tissue. Other treatment benefits include the following:
- We can use the device to target the face and body
- Treatment plans can address hyperpigmentation and vascular irregularities
- The treatment process is non-invasive
- Treatments are comfortable and well-tolerated
- Treatments are quick
- Treatments result in a glowing and healthier complexion
- There’s no significant social downtime
What Causes Pigmentation?
Pigmentation comes in many sizes and forms. At the root, pigmentation results from an increase in melanin, which is produced by cells called melanocytes. An increase in melanin creates an uneven skin tone, and it can appear as age spots, dark patches, melasma, freckles, sun spots, or general pigmentation. Pigmented lesions are another type of hyperpigmentation that can also form in various areas, detracting from the overall appearance of the skin and preventing a uniform complexion.
Women can develop the pregnancy mask during pregnancy that remains well after childbirth and is a dark skin pigment that results from an increase of melanin and hormonal changes and often affects the entire face. Pigmentation can also develop due to excessive sun exposure, genetics, lifestyle, the side effects of certain medications, and aging.
Treating Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation is difficult to treat. Countless topical products and DIY solutions claim to restore a uniform skin tone, but very few are effective. Skin-lightening products can cause adverse and unwanted reactions after use and aren’t always safe for every skin tone. Anti-aging topical products that claim to create uniform skin will promote skin health and hydration and may eventually lighten brown spots, but the best solution is a treatment that can target hyperpigmentation and pigmented lesions at the source.
Phototherapy is so effective for hyperpigmentation because it uses light energy to break down the discolored skin cells. The body then flushes those cells from the system and replaces them with younger ones, free of discoloration, which results in a uniform complexion. Phototherapy treatments address the primary cause of hyperpigmentation and can eliminate those dark spots for good.
What Areas Can IPL Treat?
An IPL photofacial can eliminate pigmentation, vascular lesions, and pigmented lesions from the face and body. We customize treatments to address one or several areas and can target pigmentation on the face, front of the neck, chest, upper arms, lower arms, and hands.
What Conditions Can It Treat?
Our photofacial treatment is designed to rejuvenate the skin by creating a more even tone. They can treat the most common types of skin discoloration, including the following:
- The pregnancy mask
- Melasma
- Sun spots
- Freckles
- Vascular lesions
- Pigmented lesions
- Age spots
What Happens During the Treatment?
Before your treatment, we’ll apply a gel to your skin and provide eyewear to protect your eyes from the light. The device has a cooling mechanism to maintain a comfortable skin temperature as the phototherapy device targets your treatment area. Some patients feel a warming sensation during this process.
The size of the area and the number of areas you want to treat will determine how long each treatment takes, but a session targeting a single area can take a few minutes from start to finish. Once it’s over, you can resume your normal daily activities.
Is There Downtime?
You won’t have to plan around downtime after a photofacial, but your skin will be more sensitive to the sun, which is why you’ll need to make an extra effort to avoid sun exposure and wear a high SPF sunscreen regardless of the weather. The discolored spots we treat during your session will darken and flake off in the following weeks. As they do, you’ll see a younger and healthier layer of skin below, free of discoloration.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
You’ll notice results after just one treatment, but depending on the severity of the hyperpigmentation you want to treat, it may take a few sessions to achieve your desired results. We can give you more details about what to expect from your treatment at your initial consultation.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Phototherapy?
If you’ve tried countless topical products and even other professional skin care treatments but haven’t found a solution that can effectively treat your specific form of hyperpigmentation, we can help you achieve more uniform skin. Our phototherapy treatment can meet the needs of patients with different skin types, discoloration, vascular irregularities, or pigmented lesions.
Before we schedule treatment, we can schedule an initial consultation so we can meet with you to discuss your treatment goals, evaluate the areas you want to treat in an in-person setting, and ask you some questions about your medical history and treatment goals. Once we confirm your treatment eligibility, we can move forward with the process and schedule your first session so you can get one step closer to uniform skin.
Learn More About the Benefits of Phototherapy
If you want more details about our IPL photofacial, how it works, and how a treatment plan can help you achieve uniform skin, we can answer all your questions, give you more details, and tell you what type of results you can expect. Once you undergo treatment you can, you’ll feel more confident in your uniform, healthier, and younger-looking skin.
