Does sun damage on your face, neck, chest, or hands bother you? Do blotches of excess red or brown pigment in your skin detract from your appearance and make you look older? Do you wish you had a magic wand that could just wave away your pigment problems?
Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy isn’t magic, but it’s the next best thing. This safe, effective treatment erases sun damage and pigment blotches without surgery.
Here at Associates in Women’s Health in Cincinnati, our team of providers offers IPL therapy that can help turn back the clock on your skin. Read on to discover more about what IPL can do for you.
Spending time in the sun can take a real toll on your skin and can cause the development of permanent brown or red splotches known as pigmented lesions.
Even if you always wear sunscreen or if you’re careful not to expose your skin to the sun, pigmented lesions can occur because of a genetic predisposition.
Almost everyone has some type of pigmented lesions. These lesions are made up of melanin, a brownish pigment found naturally in skin. When your skin tans from the sun, melanin is the compound that causes your skin to darken.
IPL is a skin resurfacing photorejuvenation treatment that uses short pulses of light energy to break down blotches of pigment in your skin. The light energy enters melanin cells and destroys them. Your lymphatic system carries away the shattered pigment cells, leaving your skin looking clearer and fresher.
IPL therapy is a safe, effective, nonsurgical office procedure that takes about 20 minutes for small areas of skin. It requires no downtime. Most people see results after just one session, but more stubborn pigment problems may require additional treatments.
Treatments are most effective on untanned skin, so we recommend that you stay out of the sun for several weeks before your procedure.
To begin your treatment, your provider applies a specially formulated gel to your skin and positions protectors over your eyes. Then your provider uses a handheld device that transmits gentle pulses of light into your skin.
IPL treatment may sting a bit. Patients sometimes describe it as feeling like the snap of a rubber band on their skin.
You might have some sunburn-like redness after your procedure, but most of it goes away after a few hours. What remains can usually be covered up with makeup.
After your treatment, your provider gives you instructions about how to take care of your skin. To help prevent further skin damage, we recommend that you always wear sunscreen.
If you’d like your skin to look fresher and less pigmented, the team at Associates in Women’s Health can help. You can make an appointment with our skin care professionals, by calling our office at 513-794-1500 or requesting an appointment today.
