Edmonton Dermatology – What is Intense Pulse Light Treatment?
Hi, welcome back to the Edmonton Dermatology YouTube channel. My name is Vanessa and I am one of the medical office administration. This is Jenna, one of our laser technicians here at Edmonton Derm. Today we’re going to be talking about the intense pulse light treatment.
What Is Intense Pulse Light?
Wonderful. So what is an intense pulse light?
An intense pulse light is a device that we use that is non-ablative and targets certain things in the skin. It’s a very gentle procedure that we do. We’ll go into more detail on that.
Skin Concerns Addressed by IPL
And what skin concerns does IPL treat?
So the main skin concerns that IPL treats would be pigmentation—if you have some sun spots or you’ve had some damage from outside—as well as rosacea or redness to the skin (vascular issues). We can also treat hair removal with it as well.
Suitable Skin Types
And what skin types does IPL treat?
So IPL unfortunately we can only do on the lighter skin tones because if we treat darker skin tones, there’s more of a side effect or a risk of damaging the skin. We do have to keep it in what we call the Fitzpatrick scale of one to four.
Does IPL Hurt?
And does the IPL treatment hurt at all?
It can be uncomfortable depending on the treatment and depending on the target of the area. If there is more redness in the area and we are treating red, then you’re going to feel that more. What I mean is it’s kind of like a rubber band snapping against the skin—very quick. It does have a sapphire crystal as part of the device that will cool the skin instantly after each pulse.
Treatment Duration
How long does the treatment take?
Depending on the area that we’re treating. For a photo facial—which would be something we do on the full face—that would take around 30 minutes. That includes cleansing the skin, putting on skincare after, and doing the treatment itself. Usually around 30 minutes. However, if we’re doing hair removal, that varies on which area of the body we’re treating. It could be up to two hours for some hair removal processes.
Downtime and Healing
What kind of downtime or healing time can be expected?
Not too much. Some people can actually come in on their lunch break during a regular work day and then go right back. You might have a little bit of redness or some swelling. The pigmentation might look a little darker after the treatment. But it’s all something we can cover up with makeup. Because it’s non-ablative, it’s not something that’s going to be very noticeable, and we can definitely cover up with makeup right after with our Jamie Adele.
Contraindications
Are there any reasons why a person should not get IPL treatments?
Yes, there are certain medications and certain skin conditions that mean we should not go ahead with it. The darker skin tones being one. Medications would be things like Accutane, unless you’ve been off of it for at least six months prior to treatment. A lot of antibiotics—unfortunately, we cannot treat when you’re on an antibiotic. We do go over all of the medications and contraindications during a consultation, so I won’t get into every single contraindication. Most people are a good candidate for it.
Treatment Cost
And what is the cost for the treatment itself?
For cost, that’s one of those things that until we see what we’re going to be treating, it’s hard to give a number. That’s why we do complimentary consultations at our clinic. If you come in, we’ll give you the cost and the quote at that time.
Comparable Treatments
So are there other treatments that are comparable to the IPL treatment?
There are a lot of other treatments that can treat pigmentation or redness in the skin, but if you are primarily looking to target those specific issues, I would say that IPL is the go-to treatment and one of a kind. We do have other options if we’re trying to treat texture irregularities, deep-set lines in the skin, acne scarring, and so on. But for redness, brown spots, and hair removal, I would say that this is the one-of-a-kind machine.
Conclusion
Awesome. Well, thanks Jenna.
You’re very welcome. It was nice seeing you all today. Please feel free—we are now on Facebook as well as Instagram, so you can follow us on there under Edmonton Dermatology. It was very nice seeing you all, and we’ll see you next time, probably in a month or two. Take care. Bye.