The Wonders of IPL: IPL vs. Laser Treatment

IPL or intense pulsed light is a light therapy treatment that could be a new guiding light to how you treat, minimize, and remove:
– Unwanted hair
– Sun damaged skin
– Age spots
Popular spots where patients usually get this IPL treatment are on the face, in the underarms, legs, arms and the bikini line.

What Is IPL?

IPL, or intense pulsed light, is a light and energy based device that releases light of different wavelengths at your skin. It’s kind of like a camera flash, and what that light does is penetrate down to your second layer of skin without damaging or harming the first top layer, your epidermis.
The light targets your skin’s pigment cells and they in turn absorb the light energy. All that absorbed light energy turns into heat which eliminates your unwanted spots, freckles, and other pigments. And for unwanted hair, it destroys the hair follicle in order to stop the hairs from growing in again.
One of the great things about the IPL treatment is that it can be done on any part of your body. However, it does not always work so well on the uneven parts or areas. This specific treatment may not be ideal for the following skin types or hair colors either:
– Light colored hair
– Darker skin tones
– Fine thin hair
The reason that IPL is not so suitable for these skin and hair types is because the IPL light targets the darker pigments and melanin. And because there is more melanin in darker skin tones the area targeted will heat up more surface area and can cause greater pain and damage to the skin. For lighter and thinner hair, there may not be enough contrast for the IPL to detect the unwanted hairs to be removed.

What’s the Difference Between IPL and Laser Treatment?

So, you may be thinking IPL and lasers just light flashes on your body that zap things away? No, not exactly.
Lasers
– Although lasers serve the same purpose as an IPL treatment, to remove unwanted hair and spots, it accomplishes this in a much different way. Lasers focus just one wavelength of light aimed at the skin. They have different wavelengths and frequencies to tackle different hair and skin types.
IPL
– The light emitted from IPL is more scattered and less focused. Light is released at many different wavelengths. And because IPL releases a broad spectrum of light, it can cover larger patches of hair and skin.
The bottom line for both of these treatments is that they work well to treat unwanted spots and hair. Also, for both options, you may need to return for several treatments and sessions to get the results that you want, and the recovery is fairly quick. You can find out more from your doctor as well, about the benefits, risks, and costs of either treatment.

What Can I Expect to Happen During the Treatment?

To prepare for your treatment, our skin care specialist will take a look at your skin, examine, it and let you know what you can expect from the procedure. When you come in, please let us know if you have any skin conditions such as acne, eczema, or other conditions, because it may affect your healing process afterwards. Prior to the procedure, you’re going to have to avoid things like:
– Waxing or plucking
– Sun exposure and tanning beds for at least 4 weeks
– Aspirin, ibuprofen, or other blood thinners one week prior (let our doctors know if you take these regularly)
Also, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding this treatment is not advisable. And before going through with the procedure, we recommend that you take a patch test to see how our skin will respond to the treatment, safety first!

Is an IPL Treatment Right for Me?

Our cosmetic treatments are performed by, our trained aesthetic physician Dr. Anca Tchelebi M.D., and the best way to find out more about laser hair treatment options is by contacting Park Avenue Medical Spa to schedule your consultation. Come in and learn more about IPL hair or spot removal treatment, or give us a call at 914-676-8013, you can even schedule a complimentary skin consultation online today. We care about our patients and we strive to enhance the ultimate feeling of regeneration and rejuvenation in all through beauty and cosmetic procedure.