FotoFacial / IPL

What is An IPL FotoFacial?

IPL FotoFacial is a non-ablative laser treatment that has been carefully calibrated to seek out specific pigments in the skin – redness, darker discolored patches or dark spots from acne scarring.

What Skin Concerns Can a FotoFacial Treat?

FotoFacial / Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)® rejuvenation is an ideal treatment for skincare concerns ranging from redness, light acne scars, and rosacea to broken capillaries and hyperpigmentation.

candidates for an IPL FotoFacial

At Skin & Cosmetic Solutions, our IPL FotoFacials are best for addressing pigmentation issues. If you have blotchy, sun-damaged skin with lots of freckles, these are effective treatments. They also shrink large pores, remove broken capillaries, and lessen fine lines and wrinkles. Rosacea also responds to IPL treatments. IPL FotoFacials are not effective for darker skin tones or deeply tanned skin, as the IPL wavelengths cannot differentiate between the age spots/pigmentation problems and the rest of the skin.

If you’re using Retin-A, doxycycline, or other medications, they will have to be stopped for one week prior to your FotoFacial.

Preparing For Your IPL FotoFacial

We’ll give you instructions prior to your treatment, but here are the basics. Remember, the goal is for there to be good contrast between your skin tone and the skin problems we’re treating. So, for 2-4 weeks prior to your session, don’t use self-tanners and limit your sun exposure. You want your skin tone to be lighter. You’ll have to discontinue use of Retin-A, doxycycline and other medications, along with aspirin, ibuprofen, or Aleve one week prior to your treatment. The best time to get an IPL FotoFacial is the fall through winter months, when you’re getting less sun exposure.

What does the FotoFacial procedure feel like?

The actual IPL FotoFacial procedure feels like the snapping of rubber bands against the skin’s surface. With each snap, the IPL FotoFacial penetrates deep below the skin’s surface to treat the issues at the source. For the successful elimination of redness, sunspots, and old acne scars, a patient will require multiple IPL FotoFacial treatments.

When Can I Return To My Normal Activities After My IPL treatment?

Immediately following an IPL FotoFacial, a patient is free to resume their daily activities. Temporary pinkness of the skin can last a very short time, but the improvement in pigment and vascular irregularities can often be appreciated by the time you return for your next treatment. Brown spots and freckles temporarily become darker before they lighten. Particularly sensitive areas may bruise or crust.

What kind of improvements can you expect in your skin with IPL FotoFacial?

If you suffer from rosacea, photodamage, sun damage, or other environmental damage, Photo Facial works exceptionally well at removing discoloration, improving skin texture and tone while providing a slight effect to the skin. Years of sunbathing and exposure to the natural elements can be removed after a short, no downtime protocol. A typical protocol would be 4-6 sessions, spaced four weeks apart.

How long will my results last after my IPL FotoFacial?

How your results endure or evolve depends on you and the sun. Sun exposure has caused most of these issues, and it will again if you don’t protect your skin. If you’re getting a lot of sun exposure and don’t adequately protect yourself with SPF 30 sunscreen, your sun spots, age spots, and broken capillaries will develop again. But if you take good care of your skin and protect it from the sun, your skin will continue to look good for the long term.

IPL Maintenance treatments

Some people may need maintenance treatments for sun damage or rosacea that appears after the initial 5 treatments. From there, patients opt for IPL FotoFacials every 6 or 12 months as maintenance treatments to continue the renewed collagen production

IPL FotoFacial Recovery

There isn’t any downtime or recovery after these treatments, but you do have to be careful with sun exposure. Initially, your skin will be unprotected against sun exposure. You need to avoid sun exposure for several days, and then use plenty of sunscreen for at least two weeks moving forward. Protecting your skin with sunscreen down the road makes good sense anyway, as those pigmentation spots you just had treated didn’t develop on their own: they came from sun damage.

risks Of IPL FotoFacials

One of the reasons our Skin & Cosmetic Solutions patients love our FotoFacials is that they are really very low-risk treatments. Short-term potential side effects after an IPL FotoFacial include very minor possible swelling, redness, and increased visibility of small capillaries. These are short-term issues, usually resolving in just a few hours. There is a slight chance of hyperpigmentation, but the expertise of our team ensures that risk is incredibly low.

Schedule a Consultation

A consultation is required prior to treatment to review the procedure and necessary preparations, as well as to ask questions.

If you believe you would be a good candidate for IPL FotoFacial treatments, schedule a consultation today by filling out our contact form or by giving us a call at 919.876.9576