Intense pulsed light

Intense Pulsed Light (often abbreviated as IPL) is a technology used in various skin treatments, including hair removal and photofacials. A handheld flashgun is passed across the skin, delivering a spectral range of light that targets the hair or skin issue. These types of treatments may also be called laser skin rejuvenation, photorejuvenation, or laser resurfacing.

File:Laser hair removal after 6 months.jpg

Laser hair removal after 6 months

Overview

The technology utilizes a high-powered, hand-held, computer-controlled flashgun to deliver an intense, visible, broad-spectrum pulse of light, generally in the visible spectral range of 400 to 1200 nm. Various cutoff filters are commonly used to selectively filter out lower wavelengths, especially potentially damaging ultra violet light. The resulting light has a spectral range that targets specific structures and chromophores (e.g., melanin in hair, or oxyhemoglobin in blood vessels) that are heated to destruction and reabsorbed by the body.

Uses

IPL is used to treat various skin conditions, including:

• Hair Removal: IPL targets the pigment in the hair to heat and destroy the follicle, preventing future growth.
• Photofacials: This treatment targets the lower layers of skin (dermis) without affecting the top layers (epidermis).
• Skin Pigmentation: IPL can be used to lighten or remove age spots, liver spots, freckles, and sun spots.
• Rosacea: IPL can reduce the redness and flushing by shrinking the blood vessels below the skin that cause the condition.
• Spider Veins: IPL can destroy the small blood vessels that cause spider veins without damaging the surrounding skin.

Side Effects

Like all medical procedures, IPL has potential risks and side effects, including:

• Pain during treatment (reduced by contact cooling and if necessary, topical anaesthetic)
• Skin turning pink and a little sore immediately after the procedure.
• A sensation similar to a mild sunburn (typically fades within a few hours)
• Potential hair changes.
• Rarely, skin pigment may absorb too much light energy and blistering can occur (this is more likely on darker skin types).

See Also

• Laser Hair Removal
• Photorejuvenation
• Laser Resurfacing