IPL Photofacial
IPL Photofacial in Sugar Land, Katy, and Houston, Texas
Photofacial treatments are used to treat wrinkles, stretch marks, age spots, and redness. For this reason, a photofacial may also be called photorejuvenation treatment. Treatments may be performed at medical offices or med spas to erase mild cases of sun damage, freckles, brown spots, irregular pigmentation, striae, or lines on areas, such as the face, chest, stomach, or chest (décolletage).
Photofacial treatments may take the form of intense pulse light (IPL) or yellow laser. Both can be widely affective and beneficial to the skin.
What is nice about these therapies is that it treats stubborn skin concerns, especially vascular lesions and port wine stains. After a photofacial some redness and swelling will usually be noted. However, these effects quickly subside after about 24 hours. Because collagen production is stimulated, you will see smoother and healthier skin, over time, with improvements made shortly after the procedure and continuing for several weeks.
When you receive a photofacial, light is absorbed into the skin by both the melanin and red blood cells (hemoglobin). When this happens, the area is intentionally damaged. This is done so the melanin or pigmentation will break up underneath the skin and the blood will carry away the waste. This makes the skin’s tone appear to be more even. In addition, the light enhances the production of collagen and elastin – both components of young-looking skin. While collagen and elastin are manufactured in abundance when a person is young, they start to diminish as people age.
Basically, any type of photofacial takes care of blemishes or skin irregularities on the surface of the skin. More specifically, photofacial treatments can be used to treat broken capillaries or blood vessels, sun-damaged skin (sun spots), rosacea, hyperpigmentation, moderate wrinkles and fines lines, freckles, and spider veins.
Photofacials provide a unique skincare experience for the recipient, as the patient must wear dark glasses when the light is applied. The provider will also apply a cooling gel to the treatment site. The glasses are used to protect the eyes from the intense beams of light.
Once you are prepped for the procedure, the medical provider will use a device, also called a hand-piece, and run it along the skin of the treatment area. The device, in turn, pulses short bursts of laser light that penetrate the skin to smooth out pigmentation and surface lines or wrinkles.
Normally, you won’t have 1 photofacial treatment and stop there. Photofacials normally are performed in a series of treatments, each which lasts from 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the treatment area and to what the degree the skin needs to be treated. Usually, a patient will receive 3 to 6 treatments in total that are scheduled about 4 weeks apart.
If you plan to have your skin treated with an IPL or yellow laser photofacial, it needs to be tan-free. A tan can prevent the IPL device from detecting which blemishes or discolorations need to be treated and can lead to problems with burns. You also need to avoid taking any kind of medicine, before a treatment, that thins the blood. Medications may include ibuprofen, anticoagulants, or aspirin. Also, do not consume alcohol. Tell your doctor about any supplements, medicines, or antibiotics you may be currently taking before you schedule the photofacial.
Most patients who receive photofacials do so to treat their face, shoulders, back, neck, or hands. However, you can schedule an IPL photofacial to treat just about any part of the body, with the exception of the eyelids and the area just above the lids. The intense light of an IPL device can be extremely bad for the eyes. Therefore, treatment around this region is highly discouraged.
While an LED photofacial is gentler and usually just feels like a massage, a photofacial may be mildly uncomfortable. Some patients liken the experience to the feeling of a thin rubber band lightly being flicked against the skin. After the treatment, some patients describe the treatment area as feeling mildly sunburned.
After only one treatment, your skin tone may appear more even and the skin may feel smoother. However, remember, these results do not appear all at once. The results are gradual, and multiple treatments are necessary to achieve the outcome you want. You can learn more about this amazing and innovative skin care treatment by reviewing the FAQs below.