Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL), also known as Intense Pulse Light Therapy, is primarily used as a hair removal method, but it has other uses as well which will be discussed below. It is performed by sending multiple short bursts of light through the skin.
Alternative Treatment Uses
In addition to hair removal, IPL has alternative uses. These include skin treatments of the following diseases and conditions.
- Altered skin pigmentation, often caused by excessive exposure to the sun
- Vascular skin changes
- Poikiloderma of Civatte or a darker pigmentation of the skin on the neck
- Acne Rosacea
- Broken capillaries (also known as Telangiectases)
- Birth marks
It is important to note that this treatment is one of the only known workable treatments of the red skin coloring that is associated with Rosacea.
Slight discomfort or irritation similar to that of a sunburn accompanies IPL treatment, especially when applied to those areas that are more sensitive, such as the face and chest. However, this mild discomfort almost always subsides within a few hours or days, and men usually experience worse sensations than women.
This treatment removes the harmful UV rays and has been improved over the years in order to achieve safer and more effective results.
