What is IPL?

A popular way to rejuvenate the skin is with the professional use of intense pulsed light, commonly known as IPL.  IPL is also known as a type of Laser treatment, although this is not technically true, the end points can be very similar and as most would not know the difference between the two you may see it advertised as so.  IPL skin rejuvenation treatments target the upper levels of the skin enabling us to treat; Pigmentation caused by ageing and sun damage, broken capillaries and spider veins, redness, rosacaea and acne. A thorough consultation should always be carried out prior to treatment to ensure client suitability, discuss end points and perform a patch test. There are many IPL machines on the market but not all are created equally so it’s important to research the equipment being used to ensure optimum results can be gained.  At SIRENS we have the most powerful IPL unit in the industry, manufactured here in the UK by the award winning, Lynton Lasers.

“IPL Skin rejuvenation can be used to target specific issues individually or clients may be struggling with a mixture of the below issues, all of which can be addressed in one treatment or in one course of treatments.”

How Does The Treatment Work?When working on skin rejuvenation the IPL handpiece emits different wavelengths of light which spread out into higher layers of the skin, this light energy creates heat and this has a plethora of effects on the different components within.

When working to treat Pigmentation: The light, released in short pulses, are readily absorbed by the high concentration of melanin found within pigmented lesions. The rapid absorption of light energy heats the melanin and causes the destruction of melanin-rich cells. This will potentially cause the pigmented lesions to darken initially but the skin will rapidly reject these now broken down cells, shedding them onto the top layers of the skin within weeks.

When treating redness & red veins such as broken capillaries: The light is readily absorbed by blood vessels, heating them to a point where they are destroyed. Following treatment, the vessels quickly clear as the body reabsorbs them, leaving little or no trace of the original lesion. When treating Rosacea the light action will also reduce inflammation and aid in restoring the skin to a normal, healthy condition. Some vessels may appear slightly darker post treatment but your body will reabsorb this in the following days/weeks. Some mild flushing and warmth/tingling may also be present but this will ease quickly.

When treating Acne: The light directly targets overactive sebaceous glands, greatly reducing the total number and severity of active lesions, and lessening the inflammation and occurrence of break-outs. The light also stimulates the production of new collagen to improve skin texture, and can also reduce the appearance of red or brown areas of skin that are often associated with acne breakouts. When treating acne the area may appear flushed post treatment and feel warm, this should ease quickly. The true results show over the coming days and weeks as the skin regenerates.

“Post treatment the skin should be cooled before a soothing lotion is applied, followed by sun protection where necessary.”

How many treatments would I need?

When treating any of these conditions, results are subjective and so, often more than one treatment is needed to gain the desired result. Your therapist would explain this during consultation and advise how many treatments would be recommended to hopefully reach your required goal. Treatments are typically performed once every 4-6 weeks. Maintenance treatments may be necessary as time goes by.

Other information to consider…

  • Strict sun care use is a must whilst having IPL treatments performed as it can you leave you slightly more light sensitive and therefore at a higher risk of sun burning and damage. This is especially important when treating pigmentation, as allowing sun activation will only reignite melanin production and the issue would almost definitely return.
  • If sunshine holidays are booked then it is advised that no IPL treatments should be performed for a few weeks prior to travel and then not performed again for around four weeks upon your return. This avoids treating skin that is actively creating melanin. Of course, we still recommend avoiding tanning all together as much as is possible, especially on any areas being treated.
  • Treatment alongside prescriptive active skincare is advised for cell function correction and optimum skin health promoting long lasting results. This can be discussed at consultation.

At SIRENS Skin & Beauty, Crawley Down we pride ourselves on listening to client concerns and treating in the most effective way possible. Prior to any treatments taking place a full consultation would be performed including skin analysis, before we offer advice and a proposed prescriptive skincare regime alongside a treatment plan that best suits your needs. Book you consultation online or over the phone on 01342 520100.