IPL, or intense pulsed light, uses short pulses of light to treat specific problems in the skin. It is precise: the light targets the problem and leaves the surrounding skin untouched.
In my Edinburgh practice it is my main tool for redness and for the visible marks of sun damage.
How it works
The light is set to wavelengths that are absorbed by pigment or by small blood vessels. It heats them to the point where they break down, and the body clears them naturally. The same light also warms the deeper layers, encouraging new collagen.
Each session builds on the one before, so the skin changes gradually and responds well.
What I use it for
Redness and rosacea
Visible broken capillaries and thread veins
Sun damage and sun spots
Uneven tone
Hormonal pigmentation, including melasma, needs a more careful approach, and IPL is never the only tool I use for it.
What to expect
Sessions are around an hour, and IPL works as a course at regular intervals. [Liz to add: what the skin looks like in the days after.]
Within a Skin Journey
IPL works best when the skin is calm and protected. Within a Skin Journey I time it around the seasons, settle reactive skin first, and support it with daily SPF and the right homecare.
Related concerns: Redness, rosacea and reactive skin (/skin-concerns/redness-rosacea) · Pigmentation and sun damage (/skin-concerns/pigmentation)
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