You may have heard of IPL as a treatment for hair removal, but did you know it’s also a great way to rejuvenate your face and reverse the damage that sun and age can do to your skin? An IPL photofacial treatment from Reflections Skin & Laser Center in Cartersville, GA can even out the tone of your skin, improve skin texture, and make you look years younger. In fact, there are more benefits to an IPL photofacial than you might think.
Surprising Benefits of IPL Photofacial Treatment
It Can Repair Small Blood Vessels
Over time, many of us begin to notice the small blood vessels in our faces becoming more visible. There are many reasons that these facial veins may become prominent, but there’s one treatment that can clear them away: an IPL photofacial treatment. Whatever pigmentation or blood vessel irregularities you’re experiencing, an IPL photofacial treatment can help.
It Can Get Your Acne Under Control
Acne plagues millions of Americans, and it’s not a problem confined to those in their teens. Many people struggle with acne well into their 20s and even later, and adult acne can show up at any time. Acne causes the skin to turn red and become inflamed, and that’s precisely where IPL photofacial treatment can help. An IPL photofacial treatment eliminates large pores and reduces your acne breakouts. Best of all, addressing the problem with IPL means you don’t have to constantly use those drying topical products that are so hard on your skin.
It’s Easy and Fast
Many facial treatments require a lot of time out of your day, but that’s not the case with the IPL photofacial treatment. At the most, you can expect this treatment to take 30 minutes, and many facials are completed in just 15. It’s simple to fit this facial into the modern busy workday. Whether you fit it in between classes, over your lunch break at work, or squeeze it in after work before you head home for the day, nearly anyone can find time for this facial.
It’s Not Just for the Face
You might be surprised to learn that IPL photofacial treatment is useful on more areas than just the face. Most people start out with facial treatment, but once you see the results, you’ll probably wonder if it can be applied elsewhere. The good news is that it can be! You can use an IPL photofacial treatment on your neck, shoulders, or chest. In fact, anywhere you have stretch marks, age spots, sun damage, or wrinkles is a suitable place to try a photofacial.
It Treats the Redness of Rosacea
Rosacea is a common skin issue that plagues many people. One of the most annoying symptoms of rosacea is the redness it imparts to the skin that nothing seems to fully cover or get rid of. If you’re concerned about red skin, from rosacea or for any other reason, this therapy is your perfect treatment solution. It will reduce the redness in your skin and give you a more even, natural-looking complexion.
It’s Easily Combined With Other Treatments
Some facial rejuvenation treatments can’t be combined with other treatments. They require significant downtime or they have side effects that require you to wait before you can get any other treatments. That’s not the case with the IPL photofacial treatment. You can get a photofacial in conjunction with a chemical peel, microdermabrasion, or any other treatment that addresses the outermost skin layers. IPL targets the inner layers of the skin, so other treatments that target the outer layer of the skin are perfect complements for this one.
It Turns Back the Signs of Aging
Aging happens to us all, and IPL isn’t an anti-aging solution per session, but it does have a lasting effect that addresses the signs of aging and turns back the clock on our appearance. IPL photofacial treatment stimulates the natural growth of collagen in the deepest layers of the skin. That collagen growth improves the texture of the skin, eliminates sun spots and age spots, and reduces the appearance of the wrinkles and fine lines that tend to give away our age.
It’s Painless
If you have assumed that keeping a beautiful, youthful complexion requires a sacrifice in pain, it’s time to think again. Deep chemical peels and other skin treatments can cause significant discomfort, but IPL photofacial treatments are painless. If you’re at all concerned about the way you’ll feel, a topical anesthetic can give you confidence that you’ll be perfectly comfortable throughout the treatment.
It’s the Best Way to Address Sun Damage
The sun is your skin’s worst enemy. Most of the skin changes that we put down to “aging” are actually the effects of consistent exposure to UV radiation from the sun. UV radiation breaks down the collagen in the skin, and collagen is what gives skin its strength and firmness. Without collagen, we become more susceptible to sagging and wrinkling.
The sun can also cause us to form dark spots of hyperpigmentation anywhere that is regularly exposed to the sun. This could be on our faces, our hands, or on the chest and neck area. Even when the skin doesn’t have specific dark spots, it can still look leathery and lined after too much time in the sun. If you feel you look older than you really are, then an IPL photofacial treatment is probably a good choice for you.
How IPL Photofacial Helps
IPL treatment addresses UV damage to the skin in two specific ways. First, it stimulates collagen production. Collagen replaces old, damaged skin with new, healthy skin cells. This replaces the cells that have been damaged by the sun, and the result is skin that looks healthier, stronger, and more elastic.
IPL also treats UV damage by drawing out cells that have been discolored by UV. These cells are typically deep within the dermis, but the light energy from benefits of ipl treatment dissolves them. This gets rid of age spots and the excessive freckling that can appear with too much sun exposure, leaving you with a smooth, even complexion.
It Can Prevent Premature Aging
One of the unfortunate truths about aging is that it can make you look older than you really are. Each of us will age in our own way, but for those of us who show signs of aging earlier than others, two or three photo facials a year can alter dermal cells so that they behave like young, healthy cells. Even if you aren’t yet showing many of the signs of aging, getting an early start on what you do see will keep you looking youthful and fresh for longer.
Understanding the Photofacial
To understand why this treatment has so many benefits, it’s important to understand how it works. Many people confuse IPL, or intense pulsed light, with laser treatments. In fact, you may have heard reference to “laser light” treatments and thought they were the same as IPL. IPL photofacial treatment involves no laser energy. It’s just light, pure and simple. This light activates natural healing and rejuvenating properties our skin already has. By activating these properties, the treatment causes your body to produce new, healthy skin and connective tissues.
How It Works
When your skin is exposed to UV radiation from the sun, it starts producing darker cells. We call this process “tanning” when it’s done deliberately and all over, but it happens all the time every time we go outside or are even too close to a window. In fact, many people are surprised to learn that even our clothing doesn’t entirely protect us from the UV rays of the sun! Skin that darkens in the sun isn’t healthy. The “tanning” process is a sign that skin is damaged, and over time we develop spots, wrinkles, and other responses to this constant damage.
The flash of light from the IPL device goes past the first outer layer of your skin to the deeper level of the dermis. There, it targets the darker cells that have been produced in response to sun damage, prompting your body to get rid of those cells and generate new, healthy ones. This evens out your skin tone. It works the same way on the scars and marks left by acne.
The Difference Between IPL and Laser Treatments
This isn’t a case of one treatment being better than another. They just have different purposes. Laser skin tightening, for example, is a fantastic way to promote younger-looking skin: it just works differently from an IPL photofacial. When you come in and talk with us, we can help you decide which treatments, or combination of treatments, are best for your concerns.
Lasers only put out one wavelength of light, while IPL devices can put out many. IPL is great for age spots, hyperpigmentation, and other types of sun damage. Lasers are excellent for treating scars or birthmarks and giving the skin a lift, among other uses. There is some overlap, and that’s why it’s a good idea to come talk to us about your options.
What to Expect at Treatment
Your first appointment with us will be to talk about your skin concerns. Once you and we have decided that benefits of IPL treatment is right for you, here’s what you can expect:
A Comfortable Experience
You don’t have to twist yourself into contortions to fit into a device, and there are no incisions, bandages, or injections involved. You’ll just lie down and wear a pair of special goggles that ensure your eyes are protected. We’ll apply a cooling gel to the area to be treated, and this helps ensure you don’t feel uncomfortable. Then it’s just a matter of treating the area with the handheld device, which emits a series of small light pulses that will remind you of camera flashes.
A Convenient Experience
If you’re used to treatments that come with a laundry list of pre-treatment requirements and post-treatment instructions, you’ll be pleasantly surprised here. Really, the only thing you need to do to prepare is to stay out of the sun and avoid any products with a lot of retinol in them for a couple of days before your treatment, as these can make your skin overly sensitive.
Afterward, you don’t have to take time off work or your regular schedule. You’re treating the lower level of the skin, not the upper, so you’re not doing any damage to the top, visible layer of your skin that you have to worry about hiding. The only thing you’ll need to do is avoid direct sun and always wear sunscreen: but you should be doing that anyway for the health of your skin! Continue to leave the creams and treatments with retinol in the drawer for a week or so, too.
An Effective Experience
Notice IPL photofacial treatment before and after. You’ll see the effects growing better and better over the next few days. Your skin tone will even out, breakouts will clear up, and dark spots or areas of hyperpigmentation will simply fade away. For most people, two to six treatments are enough to get the IPL photofacial treatment before and after results they’re looking for. After that, you’ll just need the occasional maintenance treatment.
FAQ
Is This the Right Treatment for Me?
The only way to know for sure if a photofacial will help you is to come in and talk with our aesthetic treatment professionals. But in general, this treatment is likely right for you if you have signs of aging and sun damage that you’d like to address. However, you should talk to us about different treatment options if you:
Are pregnant or nursing
Have recently had a sunburn in the area to be treated
Have an active infection in the area
Have a history of keloid scarring
Are taking diabetes medications
Are taking photosensitizing medications
Have any surgical pins or plates under the area to be treated
How Long Do Results Last?
For most people, results last a good year or more, but it will depend on two things. First, it depends on how well you take care of your skin. If you stay out of the sun, use sunscreen, and keep up a healthy skincare regime, benefits of IPL treatment will last longer.
The other factor in how long your results last is out of your control: genetics. We each age at different rates based on inherited genetic traits, so your results may last longer or fade more quickly than someone else’s.
Is This the Same Thing as Photodynamic Therapy?
Both treatments have the term “photo” in them, but they aren’t the same. Photodynamic therapy starts when you apply a photosensitizing compound to the skin and then activate it with light. This therapy is used to treat various skin problems, but it’s not the same as photofacial.
Photodynamic therapy works on the outermost layer of the skin while a photofacial treats the lower layers to stimulate the rebuilding process that sends collagen and elastin to the area.
Get Started On a New You
If you’re tired of the way sun damage, acne, rosacea and other issues are making you look, you can do something about it with a photofacial. At Reflection Skin and Laser Center, we specialize in helping the real you shine through. We have years of experience in facial rejuvenation and have helped many people reclaim their youthful, healthy complexions through the benefits of IP treatment.
To reveal your very best self to the world, contact Reflections Medical Spa in Cartersville, GA today and set up an appointment. We can help you decide if the IPL photofacial treatment is right for you and lay out all your options so you can make the right decisions for your aesthetic needs.
