Whether you’re dealing with brown marks or blotches from acne breakouts, sun damage, or melasma; or red spots or blotches, IPL Photo Facials are an easy, painless way to give your skin a fresher, more even-toned look.
Contrary to what you may think, IPL is not a laser. It’s actually considered a medical device and stands for Intense Pulse Light. This medical device uses multiple wavelengths of visible light to even out your skin tone. The filter used to generate the light cuts off all wavelengths of visible light below a certain wavelength, but permits the wavelengths above to come through. With this incredibly accurate gating mechanism allowing just the correct wavelengths, IPL can very effectively treat red and brown discoloration on your skin.
The advantage of IPL is that it treats both kinds of discolorations at the same time: red and brown. And as an extra bonus: there’s no downtime, it’s painless, and there’s virtually no risk. As we say, “It’s a pretty good deal!” In addition, these kinds of treatments are often relaxing for patients because it’s a very gentle technology. Because of the nature of the treatment, IPL acts more like a paintbrush than a laser does in terms of treating larger areas. It gets rid of more extensive and widespread discoloration leaving your skin more even-toned and giving you that fresh-faced look. Lasers, while very effective and sometimes the best solution for your skin issues, are more impactful, direct, and you may have some level of discomfort or downtime from them. After IPL, Dr. Schultz explains, “You can just go right back to work, out to dinner, and carry on with your life.” With lasers like YAG and Fraxel, there may be a little bit more downtime.
When the reds are gone, the reds are gone! However, we advise patients that this doesn’t prevent you from getting new reds in the future. The same goes for the browns. Browns have a variety of causes, but by and large the most common causes are sun exposure or injuries to the skin. You may not be getting repeated injuries after IPL treatments to cause those browns, but you’ll certainly be out in the sun. So if you’re not committed to using sunscreen with regularity, you may have to come back for more IPL treatments even after you get rid of your browns the first time. You’ll end up getting additional treatments several months or a year or two later if you don’t have effective sun protection, but if you do, remember: once the discoloration is gone, it’s gone.
Dr. Schultz and his team at Park Avenue Skin Care have an incredible amount of experience with IPL Photo Facials because they were early adopters of this technology, at its inception. Additionally, one of Dr. Schultz’s sub-specialties in cosmetic dermatology is laser surgery including the use of related medical devices such as IPL. He adds, “I have so many lasers and so many years of experience that I have a very good perspective to determine which laser or medical device will give you the best results for your particular problem. Many patients come in asking for a particular laser or procedure because their friend had it or they saw an ad on TV or in a magazine . But Dr. Schultz may tell you, “that’s not what you need, that’s not going to give you the best result.” Because of his experience and facility with lasers and medical devices like IPL, you know you’ll always be getting the best, most effective treatment that’s customized for your skin type and your individual problem.
When you come into the office for your IPL Photo Facial, you’ll discuss your needs with the team and we’ll customize the right treatment for you. IPL Photo Facials will happen in about three to five treatments separated by about three to four weeks at a time. The procedure itself will take anywhere between 15 to 45 minutes and uses a painless, gentle technology so you may walk out feeling more relaxed than when you walked in! There is no downtime after your treatment and you can go on with the rest of your day right after the appointment.
IPL stands for “Intense Pulse Light.” It’s a medical device that treatsRead More
IPL is typically used to treat red and brown discolorations. A handpieceRead More
There is a very minor tingling sensation from the pulses that areRead More
The skin can look a little pink for about half an hourRead More
With an IPL Photo Facial there is basically no downtime. You canRead More
Individual treatments can vary, but in general, you’ll receive three to fiveRead More
Make your skin care a priority with leading-dermatologist and New York Magazine’s “Top Doctor”: Dr. Neal Schultz.