Advanced facials · 01 of 03
IPL Photofacial
Intense pulsed light for sun spots and visible redness.
- Typical visit
- 15–45 min
- Downtime
- 1–7 days
- First results
- 7–21 days
- Lasts
- Depends on sun care
- Treatment plan
- 3–6 in a series
Typical estimates. Your clinician explains the timing, recovery and treatment plan for you.
In brief
What this treatment does.
IPL uses broad-spectrum light to target selected brown spots and small surface vessels. Pigmented spots may darken and flake; treated redness can fade differently. Device choice, skin tone and recent sun exposure affect suitability.
- Sun spots and freckles
- Visible surface redness
- Uneven tone on face or neck
Before you decide
Suitability and important risks.
Your health, medicines and previous treatments affect what is appropriate. Discuss benefits, risks and alternatives with the clinical team.
Who might consider it, and when to ask first
Often a good fit
- Adults with sun spots or freckles on the face or neck
- Lighter skin tones, typically Fitzpatrick types I to III
- Anyone bothered by visible surface redness
- People who can stay out of the sun between sessions
Discuss before booking
- Recent tan, sunburn or tanning-bed use
- Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding
- Isotretinoin, light-sensitizing medicines, or an active infection or cold sore in the area
- Darker skin tones, melasma, or any other question about your skin: ask your clinician first.
Visit & aftercare
Know what to expect.
The visit, step by step
Consultation
Your clinician reviews your skin tone, recent sun and tanning, medicines such as isotretinoin, and any history of cold sores or scarring.
Preparation
Your skin is cleansed, protective eyewear goes on and a cooling gel is applied.
Treatment
The handpiece delivers pulses across the area. Most people describe each one as a quick snap, like a rubber band against the skin.
Afterwards
Redness and mild swelling usually settle within hours to a couple of days. Spots darken, then flake away over the following days.
Series and follow-up
Sessions are typically spaced two to four weeks apart. Your clinician reviews your progress and decides when to stop.
Caring for your skin afterwards
- Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every day.
- Avoid direct sun and tanning beds before and after each session, as your clinician directs.
- Let darkened spots flake on their own rather than picking or scrubbing them.
- Use a gentle cleanser and moisturizer, and skip exfoliants and retinoids until we clear you.
- Apply a cool compress if the skin feels warm.
Areas and concerns to discuss
Spot treatment
A single spot or a small, defined area, treated on its own.
Face
The full face, for brown spots, redness and uneven tone together.
Face + neck
The face and neck in one visit, so the tone matches where sun damage often runs on.
Brown pigment
Freckles and sun spots absorb the light and fade as they flake away.
Visible redness
Small surface vessels and diffuse redness, with results that vary by concern.
How it works & evidence
The detail behind the treatment.
How it works, evidence and device labeling
Intense pulsed light, or IPL, sends brief flashes of broad-spectrum light into the skin. Brown pigment and the small red vessels near the surface absorb that light as heat, which is why one treatment can address both sun spots and redness. Your clinician reviews your skin first and decides whether IPL is a sound choice for you.
IPL devices are FDA-cleared through the 510(k) pathway, which is a different route from FDA approval, and each device is cleared for its own list of uses. Those uses typically include benign pigmented lesions, such as freckles and sun spots, and benign vascular lesions, such as small surface vessels and the redness of rosacea. Your clinician will tell you plainly which of your concerns fall inside those uses and which do not.
The course of a treated spot is part of the process. It typically darkens after the visit, then flakes away over the following days, leaving more even skin beneath. Results build across a series of sessions rather than in one, and because the light is absorbed by pigment, sun exposure between visits works against you.
Device clearance and approval apply to particular products and uses. Ask which device or formulation will be used for your treatment.
Questions
Your questions about IPL Photofacial.
Why do my spots look darker afterwards?
The pigment absorbs the light, so treated spots typically darken before they flake away over the following days. That is the expected course, not a sign that something went wrong.
Does IPL work on every skin tone?
It suits lighter skin best. On darker skin the same light carries a higher risk of burns and of lighter or darker patches, so your clinician may recommend a different approach.
Does it hurt?
Most people feel a brief snap with each pulse, and the cooling gel helps. Any warmth afterwards usually settles within hours.
How does IPL compare with a chemical peel?
A peel uses acids to shed the top layers of skin, with visible peeling across the whole area. IPL targets pigment and redness with light, so the flaking is limited to the treated spots.
Is IPL the same as Vasculaze?
No. IPL addresses broad areas of brown pigment and surface redness, while Vasculaze is aimed at individual visible veins and vessels.
How many sessions will I need?
3–6 in a series
General treatment information. Your clinician explains the choices appropriate for you.
Begin here
Ask about IPL Photofacial.
A consultation is a conversation about what you would like to change, and what you would like to keep. Nothing is scheduled until you choose to.
Book online