IPL Photofacials

We love Photofacials. It improves texture, color, and is ideal for significantly improving sun damage.

What Is IPL Photofacial?

Intense Pulsed Light Photofacial rejuvenation uses safe and non-invasive technology to address skin color and texture irregularities. Redness, broken capillaries, brown spots and general signs of aging are all treated to reveal smoother, revitalized skin. For optimum results, 3 – 6 treatments every 3 weeks is advised. Hands, chest, face, and neck can all be treated to reveal healthy, glowing skin.

We use the Palomar Intense Pulsed Light system to achieve best results. Unlike single wavelength lasers which treat only one condition, IPL uses a broad spectrum. Light from the laser will not affect lighter areas of your skin. Differing from a chemical peel, IPL specifically targets darkened skin pigment. This treatment is the perfect solution for those wanting to target age spots, sun spots or redness on skin often due to Rosacea.

How Does IPL Work?

During treatment, the IPL wavelength is optimized so that the energy absorbs only the unwanted melanin, and temperature rises to cause shattering of the pigment. Deeper level damaged blood vessels are treated at the same time. Shortly after treatment, melanin will have been thoroughly fragmented without damaging the surrounding tissue. Spider veins also coagulate and shrink, and many of them disappear altogether. Some vein types will however need vein-specifics lasers which we do not offer at skin specifics.

The destroyed Melanin particles are eliminated by your body’s own little “clean up” system and absorbs fragmented Melanin during the following weeks. Little to no trace of the initial pigmentation spots may be visible after the completion of the complete treatment course. Most people will need at least two Photofacials treatments but some will need 3 – 5 done every 3 weeks or so. The most common side effects, if any at all, are just mild redness or flushing. In a few cases redness may persist for some days.

Conditions Treated

Sun damage

Mistaken for signs of aging, exposure to the sun’s UV light disturbs the skin’s fibers. This affects the skin’s elasticity, causing sagging and stretching of the skin. In time the ability for your skin to spring back to shape is lessened. IPL will aid in returning your skin to a more youthful state.

Flushing

Flushing, most commonly in the face, neck, or chest, is temporary skin reddening. Flushing causes more of a red color than blushing. It may come about from things such as exercising, sexual arousement, anger, as well as hormonal changes. Flushing is also linked with hot flashes and pregnancy. IPL can reduce the amount of redness from flushing.

Skin texture

Skin texture can become roughened by age, acne, rosacea, or using bad skin care products. Uneven skin texture can be linked to sun exposure or damage as well, breaking collagen. When the skin is not smooth, it makes you look older than you really are. IPL can help smooth the appearance of your skin and make you look rejuvenated. However products such as prescription Retin-A and chemical peels, both offered at skin specifics can help with texture improvements.

Pore size

No matter how many different products you’ve tried, many people experience enlarged pores. They are subject to your genetics. Although you cannot get rid of them (they are actually your hair follicles,) it maybe possible to reduce their size with light treatment.

Redness/Rosacea

Rosacea is chronic redness that appears primarily on areas of the face, neck or chest. It does not go away on its own, and if left untreated it may appear as red frequent flushing and redness. Side effects may include, eye irritation, burning, dry skin, or swelling. There is no cure, but IPL is often found to help in controlling redness and the frequency of flushing by affecting the capillary network on the face.

Broken capillaries

Blood vessels connecting to veins and arteries and circulating blood are referred to capillaries. When the capillaries are broken, they look like small spider-like marks, either blue, red, or pink, underneath the skin. This can occur around the nose, mouth, cheeks, chest, and legs. Broken capillaries can be caused by age, genetics, hormones, or medical conditions. In some cases the capillaries cannot repair themselves and need aid from treatments like IPL.

Age/Brown spots

Also referred to as liver spots, these brown or tan spots appear on the face, shoulders, and hands. They show up in adults around 50 years old and are caused by sun exposure, medications, or genetics. These cause an increase in the number of pigment cells or molecules. The amount of increase will determine the amount of IPL needed.

Sun-induced freckles

Cells in the skin called melanocytes act to protect the skin from harmful sun rays. They produce melanin which work as a pigmented protective layer by making it darker. Although typically spread evenly through the body, sometimes they cluster together, causing freckles to appear. IPL can reduce the abundance of freckles.

Areas On The Body That Can Be Treated

Potential IPL Photofacial Candidates

Although many people try numerous skin care products, they often aren’t effective. It may feel like getting rid of your rosey cheeks or sun spots is impossible. Additionally, people who have undergone previous skin treatments who did not experience ideal results may desire a new approach, such as IPL. If you experience any of the conditions listed above, IPL may be the perfect solution for you.

In our experience, lighter skin tones seems to respond best with the least possibility of side effects associated with IPL as opposed to darker skin tones. We recommend that you are as pale as you can be and have not had any active exposure to the sun in the prior 6 weeks. IPL can be performed on both females and males alike. Skin elasticity is ideal for optimal results. We should add that we do treat many Asian skin types that respond well to IPL Photofacials.

Consultation

During your initial consultation at Skin Specifics, you will share your aesthetic goals for your face, neck, or hands. A thorough examination will be performed to assess your conditions, and the perfect treatment method will be personalized just for you. Any pricing questions can be discussed at this time. We know that enhancing the appearance of your skin is difficult to achieve on your own, and we want to help you reach your goals.

Pre-Treatment Protocol

Treatment Process

The treatment takes place in our office. The process will take anywhere between a few minutes to an hour, depending on the size or amount of areas being treated. An anesthetic cream will be used to numb your face approximately 30 to 40 minutes prior to your procedure. The anesthetic cream is then taken off and eyes covered by protective eyewear during the process to defend from the flashes of light prior to beginning your treatment. The treated area will be layered with a cool gel. A pulse of light from a hand-held piece will then be emitted to the treatment spots. The light feels similar to the sensation of a small rubber band snap, accompanied by a subtle warm sensation.

After the treatment, it will appear as though you have a sunburn, but this will subside as we apply a cooling cream following the treatment as well as sunscreen. You may apply make up about 2 hours post procedure. You will notice that some of the brown spots or age spots you have will have already darkened during the procedure and they will continue to darken over the next few days up to a week to appear like coffee grounds.

The first treatment will be less aggressive than the following. The use of the IPL light allows for a customized treatment depending on the patient’s needs. The total control of light adjustment gives more precise, desirable results.

Postoperative Care

Excessive swelling or bruising may occur immediately after treatment; this is temporary and not harmful. Apply a cold pack and/or hydrocortisone cream every 12 hours for the first 48 hours, then as needed to help reduce any swelling. In the following week your brown spots will continue to get darker. Do not pick, scratch, or remove scabs. Keep scabs soft with a lubricating cream such as Aquaphor. The lesion is usually healed in 7-10 days, and will continually fade over the next 2-4 weeks. We advise that you keep the whole area well moisturized, avoid deliberate sun exposure, use sunscreen diligently, and wear a hat if you are outside.

You may wear makeup within 2 hours of the treatment if you need to. It is recommended to hold off on exfoliating treatments until the redness subsides. Most of our clients are able to use make up and go about their daily routine. You may wash as normal, but do not scrub. Microdermabrasion is advides 7-10 days after a photofacial to help with exfoliation. If you use any prescription strength products such as Retin-A or over the counter Retinols or fruit acid based creams you may resume these 7-10 days post treatment.

Results

Taking care of yourself makes for beautiful skin. Let us take care of you. By helping to remove the age spots, sun-induced freckles and broken capillaries, you’ll have overall younger looking skin. Improvement is subtle and accomplished over a series of treatments, so your skin will not appear obviously treated. In time though, sunspots will fade, wrinkles will diminish, and redness will be reduced with the continued treatments, leaving you with beautiful, rejuvenated skin.

Pricing