Is IPL Photofacial a Good Acne Laser Treatment?

If you have acne and you are looking for the best solution to get rid of it, then IPL photofacial is the solution you need. More and more doctors are recommending IPL photofacials for patients with severe acne or acne scarring, as well as other conditions like sun spots and age spots (through targeting blood vessels), and fine lines.

With just a few sessions, IPL treatments can clear up even the most extreme cases of facial acne and/or acne scarring. With alternatives like oral antibiotics that can be harmful to some patients, IPL therapy is a safe and easy option for acne removal.

When dealing with acne, IPL photofacials treatments generally utilize three filters or wavelengths: 420 nm or blue light, 560 nm of yellow light, and 590 nm of red light. These three filters provide their own properties:

• 420 nm (blue light): Destroying certain acne bacteria
• 560 nm (yellow light): Tending swollen acne lesions
• 590 nm (red light): Paralyzing overactive oil glands in the skin

What is the Typical IPL Laser Treatment for Acne?

The exact treatment needed will depend on the severity of the patient’s acne condition. The typical skin treatment course should be about 4-6 sessions, each session a few weeks apart. Sessions can last anywhere from 15-20 minutes or up to an hour; this depends on how much skin needs to be treated.

Each treatment begins with a protective cooling gel being applied to the targeted area. This will help keep the top layer of the skin safe from the heat without preventing the IPL flashes from penetrating the skin.

Afterwards, the IPL device is pressed to the treated area and a flash of light is emitted into the skin. The doctor should then move the tip along the skin, emitting a flash at every different point. This process can be repeated with each filter if desired by the doctor or technician.

The treatment ends with the skin being wiped clean and the patient given a post-treatment product to help with the healing process.

Healing and Recovery: How Long Does IPL Take to Heal?

A great advantage of IPL treatment is that it causes minimal damage to the top layer of the skin, meaning healing and recovery is quicker than with other types of skin and acne treatments.

After each treatment, patients should feel like they have a mild sunburn on the treated area; this can last anywhere from 4-6 hours. Side effects may also include slight bruising and reddening for a day after the treatment, and some peeling after the first few weeks. No serious side effects should be expected.

Patients can expect to see some improvements after their first treatment, but full results won’t start to become visible until after the first few treatments are done and they are several weeks into their treatments. To maximize your recovery, follow the following tips:

• Use lotion to moisturize the skin daily
• Wash the face a few times a day with cleanser
• If the skin is in pain, don’t apply makeup

Always use sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 if you plan to go outside to avoid sun damage, as sun damage is very harmful to the skin

For an in depth list/comparison of different acne treatments from IPl and AviClear to subcision & filler, check out this article!