Why Do I Need Six IPL photofacial treatments?

Do you know why a series of six IPL photofacial treatments are recommended or best results? Keep reading to learn more.

What is an IPL photofacial treatment?

An IPL photofacial treatment is a laser treatment that’s used to address a number of concerns. But the primary concern is correction of color. This means treating dark spots, sun spots, blotchy skin, redness, and broken capillaries. The IPL photofacial treatment works by using bright light to target the areas of concern. This gets rid of the uneven color and redness. As the pigment gets destroyed, it slowly moves from the deeper layers of your skin to the surface. Then it flakes off giving the commonly-seen coffee ground appearance. If the pigment is deeper, sometimes it just gets absorbed by the skin so you won’t see the coffee ground appearance. This is why sometimes the dark spots get darker before they get lighter. This can take one to two weeks. But it can also take months and multiple treatments, especially if you have a darker skin type. So it’s important to be patient.

On what areas of your skin can you have an IPL photofacial treatment?

An IPL photofacial treatment can be done on any area of your skin. The most common area treated with an IPL photofacial treatment is the face. But other commonly treated areas include the neck, chest, and backs of the hands.

What happens after an IPL photofacial treatment?

Each time you have an IPL photofacial treatment, your skin improves and you get rid of some of the damage. Usually, the surface layers of your skin are treated the most at your first treatment. This is simply because it’s closer to the light source. Once you get rid of the spots in the surface layers, the spots in the deeper layers can be treated better because the pigment in the surface layers is not blocking the path to the deeper layers of your skin. Also, it takes time for your skin to recover. Your skin cell growth cycle is about a month when you’re born. This means it takes about a month for the skin cells at the base of your skin to move to the surface, and ultimately flake off. This process slows down over time and can take five or six weeks as you mature. This is why IPL photofacial treatments are recommended every four to six weeks.

Why do I need so many IPL photofacial treatments?

 In most people, sun damage exists in multiple layers of the skin: the surface layers, the deeper layers, and the layers in between. In order to treat all of these, you’ll need a series of multiple treatments. Why six IPL photofacial treatments? There is nothing magic about six IPL photofacial treatments. It’s not like your skin will be perfect the day after your sixth IPL photofacial treatment. But in general, when people receive six IPL photofacial treatment, the results are outstanding. Also, some people have stubborn pigment. Others have darker skin, so lighter settings need to be used to prevent side effects. That’s why it's so important to complete your series of IPL photofacial treatments before even looking at your results. This is hard because it can take over six months for this process. But it’s important to understand that the spots did not appear overnight and they won’t go away overnight, so you really need to be patient.

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Dr. Alex has performed over 10,000 cosmetic treatments with many satisfied patients. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Alex in our Encino, CA office.

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