Have you spent a few too many hours out in the sun tubing on the Schuylkill River or soaking up the rays on the Jersey Shore? Do you have some acne scars and lesions? Is your skin blotchy with red and brown discolored areas?
Well, it’s time to get intense with Dr. Lee, more precisely to get an Intense Pulsed Light Photofacial<. An IPL Photofacial provides gentle skin rejuvenation without downtime.
For our IPL Photofacials at Bryn Mawr Facial Aesthetics, we use our Palomar Icon system. Our IPL treatments are good for treating the effects of sun damage, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and other skin problems.
An IPL Photofacial at Bryn Mawr is a 30-minute procedure in which “intense” pulses of light are directed onto the target areas of the skin. This light penetrates deeply, beyond the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) into the dermis beneath. The light energy causes the body to perceive it as an injury, responding by constricting the collagen and blood vessels below the epidermis, reducing redness, lines, and scars. The body also signals the need to create new collagen to address the “injury.” Since collagen is the body’s skin support protein, new collagen helps fill wrinkles and scars and makes the skin appear younger.
Because IPL delivers a breadth of wavelengths, some of the energy also is absorbed by the melanin in the pigmentation issues in the epidermis. The melanin in the pigmented spots absorbs the IPL energy and it converts to heat. This breaks up the melanin, makes the spots darken, and then begin to peel off.
To begin, you’re given protective eyewear to protect your eyes from the bright flashes of light. A cooling gel is applied to the more sensitive target areas, acting both as a lubricant and to cool the skin. As the light is applied to your skin, you will feel a warm sensation from the handpiece. The feeling of the light entering your skin is often compared to a light snap from a rubber band.
The results of an IPL Photofacial are similar to those of a medium chemical peel without any of the downtime. Since the procedure encourages collagen production, it takes a series of sessions to achieve the results you seek. Some patients see some immediate results; others see results after the second or third session. Dr. Lee recommends patients have a series of five treatments, each spaced three to four weeks apart.
Interested in addressing your sun damage, pigmentation issues, or acne scars? Call us at [flc-phone] or contact Bryn Mawr Facial Aesthetics Center and ask about our IPL Photofacials.
