Intense Pulsed Light Therapy now available at Dr. Mark’s Rejuvenation Clinic
Intense pulsed light can help provide beautiful skin
- Do you want a more even skin tone?
- Are you troubled by excessive facial redness or nasal redness or spider veins?
- Do you want to reduce areas of excess freckling?
- Do you want to target a specific age spot?
- Are you bothered by excessive facial hair?
I’m delighted to announce the introduction of Intense Pulsed Light therapy into my clinic services. IPL is a well researched technique that has been used in hospitals and private clinics in the UK for around ten years. It will be provided by myself and my wife, Dr. Moira McCarty. The IPL machine being used is the Lynton Luminette Advance, a true medical grade IPL machine, EU certified and capable of safely delivering the power needed to achieve results. Intense pulsed light and Pelleve skin tightening make a great combination of treatments to enhance the beauty of your skin without any needles or injections. IPL enhances and corrects the texture and complexion of your skin while Pelleve works deep down, lifting, tightening and improving volume.
What’s IPL good for?
IPL is an excellent treatment for certain skin problems, for photo-rejuvenation to help you look younger and reverse some of the signs of ageing, and for facial hair removal.
Intense Pulsed Light for Skin Problems
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser therapy is done to treat skin problems such as sun spots and brown spots, spider veins and broken capillaries, acne rosacea and for photo-rejuvenation to help to reverse the signs of ageing.
IPL can be used to reduce hyperpigmentation, which are areas of brown spots usually caused by sun damage. Sun spots, liver spots, freckles and other unwanted pigmentation are often associated with skin ageing and over exposure to the sun or sunbeds. From the age of around 40 the skin is less able to regenerate from sun exposure and age spots start to appear. Generally these age spots pose no health risk, however they can be unsightly and create a patchy, less youthful appearance. Freckling and age spots are successfully lightened or removed with either Laser or Intense Pulse Light. IPL reduces the size and intensity of the colour of brown age spots and liver spots. IPL treatment can also be used on certain types of birthmarks, broken capillaries, and the redness caused by rosacea and acne scars. The way this works is that the blood cells in the vessels absorb the light energy, heat up and are destroyed. The surrounding skin cells are unaffected. You might be wondering whether IPL treatment is painful? Well the honest answer is that it is not entirely comfortable, but the discomfort is instant and bearable, a bit like an elastic band pinging on the skin.
IPL treatment only causes the skin on the surface to regenerate and renew, the deeper layers are unaffected. It also helps with the treatment of open pores, and the blue light component in the wavelength helps to kill the bacteria that are responsible for acne. The cost of treatment is £125 for a full facial treatment, and £75 for smaller areas. Each treatment is preceeded by a consultation and a patch test to assess the best strength of light to treat your skin safely. Please note treatments can only be done on skin that is untanned (real or fake) as colour in the skin will increase absorption of the light energy and pose a risk of a burn.
Rosacea, before and after IPL treatment
Nasal thread veins, before and after IPL treatment
Facial pigmentation before and after IPL treatment
Hand pigmentation before and after IPL treatment
Look younger with Intense Pulsed Light treatment
Skin will look refreshed and rejuvenated. Improvement in tone and texture of skin is experienced. A significant reduction of brown and red areas of discoloration, small red blood vessels (spider veins) and irregular areas of pigmentation occurs. Pore size can be reduced by one third. A reduction of red discoloration will be evident in individuals with rosacea or abnormal flushing. Skin looks more beautiful following IPL Photorejuvenation.
Do I have to miss work or scheduled social functions? No. This procedure is a “no downtime” procedure meaning that you may return to all scheduled activities immediately.
What will my skin look like after the procedure has been done? Your skin may look slightly flushed temporarily. This mild “glow” will usually not be noticed by other individuals. If you wish, you may apply powder or make-up right away.
Is the procedure painful? You will experience a slight sensation as the pulses of therapeutic light are passed over your skin. The sensation is very mild and easily tolerated. Topical anaesthic creams are not required but are available for individuals who wish to numb the skin.
How many treatments are required? A series of five treatments is scheduled. Each treatment takes less than one hour to perform. Treatments are scheduled approximately three weeks apart. A series of treatments will take about fifteen weeks to complete.
Will I be able to interrupt my treatments for a holiday or trip or other event? Yes. We are able to reschedule your visit and will always endeavour to accomodate necessary changes. We request notice as soon as possible in advance as that time has been reserved for your treatment. We appreciate seven days notice for rescheduling.
Why are five treatments required? It has been demonstrated that the majority of people will achieve most of their improvement after five treatments are performed. Improvement is gradual and becomes evident after several treatments have been completed. Therefore single treatments are not scheduled prior to the completion of the first series of five procedures.
How long do the results last? The results achieved from the treatment series can be expected to last for possilby several years or longer. However, with the passage of time and with environmental exposure, skin ages as we do. IPL Photorejuvenation will provide beneifts and significantly reverse many of the visible signs of sun-damaged skin. The improvement that has been achieved following a first series of five treatments can be maintained by occasional single maintenance treatments.
Are maintenance treatments necessary? Maintenance treatments are recommended in order to maintain the positive benefits that have been achieved after completing the first series of five treatments.
When should maintenance treatments be done? The ideal time to schedule a single maintenance treatment is about four months after your last treatment. However treatment maintenance schedules can be individualized depending on specific needs and assessments by Dr. Mark.
Can I have a treatment while my skin is tanned? No. It’s best to treat skin that is not tanned, although a slight “chronic” tan may be acceptable. Dr Mark will assess your skin at the time of your consultation.
What areas can benefit from IPL Photorejuvenation? Areas of skin which will benefit the most are generally sun exposed areas. The commonest areas treated are the face, the neck, the chest and the backs of the hands.
What imrovement will be noticed after a series of five treatments is finished? Skin will look refreshed and rejuvenated. Improvement in tone and texture of skin is experienced. A significant reduction of brown and red areas of discoloration, small red blood vessels (spider veins) and irregular areas of pigmentation occurs. Pore size is reduced by one third. A reduction of red discoloration will be evident in individuals with rosacea or abnormal flushing. Skin looks more beautiful following IPL Photorejuvenation.
Do I require a consultation before I schedule a treatment? Yes. A consultation is needed prior to your first IPL Photorejuvenation treatment. IPL Photorejuvenation is a non-invasive medical procedure. Your skin must be assessed by Dr Mark prior to scheduling your first treatment. During your consultation any specific concerns or questions will be addressed.
How much does it cost? The cost for a full facial IPL treatment is £125, and a package of five treatments booked in advance costs £500.
Intense Pulsed Light for Facial Hair Removal
How does it work? Light is absorbed by the melanin (the pigment in the hair follicle). The light energy heats the pigment and effectively destroys the cells in the hair follicle which are responsible for hair growth, without damaging the surrounding cell. The laser or IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is placed on the skin and a short pulse of light is released, which targets many follicles simultaneously. The applicator is then moved to the neighbouring area of the skin and the process is repeated until the entire area is covered. For IPL treatments, a thin layer of gel is applied to the skin to help guide the light.
Am I suitable for treatment? Most people are suitable for treatment. Best results are seen with people who have lighter skin and darker hair. Dark hair is more easily treated as it has a high concentration of melanin. Fair hair however contains less melanin so is harder to treat. Grey/white hair has no melanin so is not suitable for treatment. How does the treatment feel? Treatment sensation varies but is often described as a ‘flick of an elastic band’. No anaesthetic is required and most clients describe the discomforts as moderate and tolerable.
What will I see after treatment? The hair follicles are damaged by the heat but the hairs remain in the follicles. The dead hairs shed after 1 to 3 weeks as the epidermis renews. During this period the hairs will seem to grow as they are pushed out by the new epidermis.
Are there any side effects? The skin may be red immediately after treatment and the hair follicles may be swollen and raised but this usually subsides within a few hours. Adverse reactions are rare but may include a small blister or temporary lightening or darkening of the skin.
How many treatments are necessary? Only hair that is actively growing is affected, therefore multiple treatments are needed. Treatments are conducted every 4 to 8 weeks depending on the area being treated, until a good result is seen. The number of treatments varies, although typically 6 treatments or more are needed for optimum results.
How long does treatment take? Treatments can take as little as 10 minutes and up to 1 hour, depending upon the size of area being treated.
Blistering rarely occurs, but if you do get a blister, it is important that you don’t pick it as it may leave a scar.
After treatment of vascular lesions they will either disappear immediately or appear grey or purplish in colour. Diffuse redness immediately appears a lot redder then gradually lightens within 2-3 weeks. Vascular treatments generally require 3 fortnightly or monthly treatments for best results.
| Is your skin suitable for IPL treatment? In order to select the correct skin type for IPL treatment, the table below is used to classify skin according to its melanin (pigment) content and the skins reaction to the sun. The lighter the skin type, the more suitable it is for IPL treatment.
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If you have a history of herpes close to the area being treated, it is recommended that you use antiviral medication before the treatment – this will be available from the chemist.
How much does it cost? Treatment prices range from £45 to £125 depending on the size of the area to be treated. Discounts are available for multiple treatments booked and paid for in advance.